


Inhuman Interest

by waitwhathuh



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Baby Journalist Laura, Begrudging Girlfriend Carmilla, F/F, Post-Canon, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-04-26 00:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 60,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4982962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitwhathuh/pseuds/waitwhathuh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura and Carmilla are just trying to move on with their lives after Silas - which would be leagues easier if there weren't strange happenings causing Laura's instinct for journalism to flare up. The tiny human and her vampiric girlfriend find themselves taking up the role of investigators of the supernatural, but does Laura really want to risk repeating the mistakes of her past?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Three Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Carmilla story! It takes place 3 years after my idea of what season 3 would be, as Laura and Carmilla are still starting their lives together. Prepare for fluff and and angst of varying degrees.

“Laura, no.”

An all too common phrase to the not-as-naïve 23 year-old girl’s ears by now.

“Oh come on, Carm. You saw the crime scene. Nothing natural could’ve caused that. I mean, the blood was _glowing_. You’re a vampire. You know blood. You know the supernatural. You can’t deny there’s something… other worldly going on.”

“I’m not denying anything, Cupcake. In fact, I’m agreeing. Yes, there is obviously some sort of supernatural influence that caused that explosion in the city’s centre. All the more reason for you to leave it alone.”

Laura gives her girlfriend an exasperated look, leaning over the small marble island of the kitchen in their apartment. Carmilla tries to go back to finishing her morning mug of B+, silently praying that the creampuff would drop it. She should really know better by now.

“But look at this,” Laura slides the morning paper towards Carmilla, as if she hasn’t been shown thirteen times already. “‘A neon glow caused by the reflection of the optics of the nearby LCD lights’? Really? It’s utter misconstruction on top of being way too wordy of an article.”

“Well, maybe you could’ve written it if you didn’t pitch to your paper that this was probably the work of some exploding radiation demon.” Carmilla drawls, taking another sip of the blood. She’ll have to remember to add vodka next time something weird happens that throws Laura off the handle.

“I – okay, I admit I may have sounded like a conspiracy theorist, but anybody could’ve seen that there was more to the story. Even the editor gave me that look like she knew, you know? But she brushed me off anyway.” Laura huffs, looking dejected at the memory.

“It’s a newspaper. I’m sure all the journalists there have encountered something weird that couldn’t be explained with their limited knowledge of the world at some point.” Carmilla shrugs, and she flips the paper to the comic section.

“So why isn’t it ever talked about? Like, if this kind of thing happens all the time where the supernatural mixes with the natural, why don’t we hear about it? Why didn’t I find out vampires existed until I went to Silas?” Laura questions, still looking dejected.

“I’m sure you can figure that out on your own, creampuff.” Carmilla sighs, scowling at a comic that she deemed not up to par in the humour department. Laura muses for a moment.

“I guess they’re told to keep quiet. Maybe someone swoops in all Men In Black style. Maybe the government?” She inquires to herself, but Carmilla can’t stop herself from chiming in with her own thoughts. Lauronica Mars’ theorizing can be quite infectious.

“Or a cooperation with a more supernatural affiliation, like Corvae.”

Carmilla nearly stakes herself when she sees the panicked look that flashes across Laura’s face.

“C-Corvae? But, we defeated them. Three years ago. We defeated them, right?” Laura’s practically hyperventilating. Carmilla quickly abandons the mediocre comic section and slides around the island to Laura’s side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Hey. Yes. Corvae is gone. And any trace of them. I just meant another cooperation. Maybe one not as diabolical. Just one that has an interest in keeping the supernatural hidden from the rest of the world.” Carmilla’s voice is soft, rubbing soothing circles on Laura’s arm. When Laura’s breathing doesn’t calm down right away, Carmilla makes an effort to meet Laura’s eyes and coos out another “Hey.”

Laura swallows hard and nods slowly, her breathing slowing. She shakes it off, taking a deep breath before continuing, “Why is there so much secrecy about it?”

“I don’t know, maybe they’re trying to avoid mass panic and chaos among the mortals?” Carmilla sighs, and though her tone is slightly biting her voice is still soft.

“Shouldn’t the people know, though? There was just a massive explosion of supernatural energy that turned fifteen people into melted glow sticks. Isn’t it the right of the people to know that the things that go bump in the night are all too real instead of chalking it up to a-” Laura flips the paper back to the story of the explosion, and incredulously tosses the pages into the air, “a gas leak!”

“Hey, I might be biased but I can’t really complain.” Carmilla leans back against the island again, confident that any dark cloud of the past has passed over Laura now. “It’s better the world doesn’t know about me. It allows me to walk freely. Visit museums. Order coffee at one of those pretentious cafés. Hold hands with my girlfriend in public.”

Laura can’t help but blush under her gaze, a small smile forming on her face. “I guess – I guess you’re right. I’m just… disappointed, I suppose. On one hand, what happened in the town centre was such a tragedy and those families who lost someone will never know the truth of what happened. And on the other hand, I’ve been a journalist at this newspaper for a year now and all I’ve reported on is charity events and one homeless man who ate his left hand. I don’t know, maybe peeling back the veil on the underground supernatural culture would help pave the way for me in the industry.”

Carmilla eyes Laura compassionately. She had seen Laura day after day sticking her neck out and over exhausting herself to try and break the story, no matter how mundane it was. Typical Hollis.

“For the record, I liked that story you wrote about the homeless man.” Carmilla smirks, receiving a small shove from Laura in response. “Look, I get it. Part of the reason I can continue being so apathetic is that you exude enough effort for the both of us.” She jokes. Laura mutters something under her breath about unwashed dishes. “Just be patient. You’ll get your chance – and it’s _not_ going to have anything to do with the boogie-man.”

“Not even a little exposé? Make ‘Interview with the Vampire’ a reality?” Laura smiles, stepping close to Carmilla, who grasps her at the hips with a teasing look in her eyes.

“You’ll have to talk to my agent.” Carmilla says in her low, raspy voice. Then her smirk drops and she steps back from Laura. “Seriously Laura. Promise me you won’t pursue this… publication of the paranormal. It’s bad enough going up against some unknown entity, but if there really is another corporation keeping it all hush hush then,” Carmilla bites her lips, and she knows she’s going to regret bringing it up again, “we’ve faced both before, and although we ultimately succeeded, I don’t think I need to remind you we didn’t come out… unscathed.”

Laura’s hand instinctively lays flat against her own chest and she looks away from Carmilla, the guilt and horror filling her features. Carmilla sighs. Yeah, she definitely regrets it.

“I’m sorry. I know we don’t… discuss about that time often, but I just felt the need to address my concerns about your general enthusiasm to uncover the truth – which I usually _love_ about you, but in this case I think we’ve already learned to leave well enough alone.” Carmilla continues, her hand travelling up the cup Laura’s face. Laura’s eyes eventually meet Carmilla’s for a moment before finding the floor again.

“Yeah. Okay, Carm. You win. I’ll let it go.” Laura sighs, and she doesn’t even seem conflicted about the decision. She’s experienced defeat before, and the days of feeling like an unbeatable 19 year-old are over for Laura Hollis.

Carmilla smiles softly and pulls Laura up against her. “Good. Because I want to be the only supernatural being in your life anyway.” She states, and this causes Laura to snap up to look at her with a smile.

“Ah, was that your objective all along Miss Karnstein?” Laura teases, and Carmilla inwardly breathes a sigh of relief.

“Sometimes I just can’t help the possessive vampire crap, Cupcake.” Carmilla chuckles, resting her forehead against Laura’s.

“Hmm, I still think you could work on your 17th century idea of game.” Laura coos, and Carmilla’s teeth flash into a full smile – the kind only Laura can get from her.

“Oh really? Well tell me how you feel about it now…”

Carmilla leans in and captures Laura’s lips in hers, and Laura practically sighs out her contentment. Another day of keeping Laura’s inquisitive nature in check, another day longer she goes unharmed. Carmilla figures her idea of game is working just fine.

Besides, it’s all worth it for moments like this.

At least, until they get interrupted by Laura’s cell phone buzzing. Three years and being interrupted is still a common theme in their lives, much to Carmilla’s chagrin.

“I regret snapping your flip phone now. This smart phone is much more vexing.” Carmilla grumbles after Laura pulls away, but she keeps her close just in case Laura miraculously decides to ignore her phone this time. Please, for the love of god, ignore it.

“And whose fault is that?” Laura smirks, pulling away. Damnit.

“One of these days I’m going to just go full out pyrokinesis on the city’s cell towers.” Carmilla mutters, but Laura merely giggles at her girlfriend’s displeasure as she checks her phone.

“Oh joy. A school is having a bake sale. What a riveting feature this will make.” Laura sighs sarcastically. “I have to go. The paper wants me to cover it.”

“Alright, count me in.” Carmilla states, grabbing her leather jacket by the door and pulling it on.

“Carm, it’s just a bake sale. You don’t need to look out for me.” Laura rolls her eyes.

“I know that. But how could I ever give up the opportunity for you to generously buy my a dozen cupcakes? It’s for charity after all, buttercup.” Carmilla affirms with her usual dry wit. Laura’s eyes roll again as she pulls her jacket on, then loops her arm in Carmilla’s.

“Alright. Come on, you stupid vampire.” Laura leads them out as Carmilla chuckles, and as much as Carmilla is now looking forward to the high-glucose pastries made by some prepubescent snot rags, she has to admit she knows deep down she’s going to look out for Laura too. She just can’t bring herself to leave Laura alone on any case, even if there’s seemingly no danger. She can’t risk it.

Not after what happened to all of them three years ago.


	2. Ethical Crisis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! Aka the bake sale chapter. Let's assume this school district was allowed to put on bake sales. Mine wasn't. Whatever, school district.

"Why're you so pale?"

"I don't like the sun."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like wrinkles."

"The sun gives you wrinkles?"

"Yes, as does smiling."

"Is that also why you look so grumpy?"

Carmilla surveys the two little inquisitive gnomes people call "children" with disdain. She thought if she stood back by the parking-lot and watched Laura from afar, she could peacefully munch on some baked goods without being hassled. It was not meant to be.

"I have a couple reasons to be grumpy, it seems." Carmilla drawls, taking a bite of a brownie. A very dry brownie. She's regretting the decision to come to this bake sale more and more with each second that ticks by.

"Is it because you don't have a boyfriend or something?"

Carmilla's mouth twitches.

"Let's set her up with our teacher!" One of the girls squeals. "Mr. Collins would love you!"

"I don't know. Maybe he'd like her better with a tan…" The other adds. Carmilla takes a deep breath. Drinking children's blood is never worth it. They drain far too quickly, and she can't even imagine the amount of germs crawling in and out of their filthy pores. Plus, Laura would be pretty upset with her. It'd give her something interesting to report on, however…

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm dating someone already. A girl." Carmilla states, flicking the rest of brownie carelessly to the ground. The children stare at her a moment before one dares to speak.

"Does she still like you even though you're pale and grumpy?"

Carmilla growls and crouches down to their height. "You haven't even  _seen_  grumpy, pygmy puff. And I for one  _like_  being pale. Not just because of lack of wrinkles, either. You know what else the sun can give you? Cancer. It'll mutate your skin cells, and they'll grow out of control, consuming every part of your tiny, insignificant-"

"Carmilla!"

Carmilla's glare is ripped from the wide-eyed children as Laura jogs over. She gives Carmilla a questioning glance before turning to the kids.

"Hey guys! Can you go over to your class' table? I'm about to swing by to do interviews." Laura requests. One of them blinks at her.

"Can we stand in the shade?" "I don't want cancer!"

Laura gauges them for a moment before shooting Carmilla an incredulous look and turning back to the kids.

"Sure. Wait in the shade. I'll be there in a sec." Laura nods, and shuffles them away with her arms. She rolls her eyes when she looks at Carmilla. "Can't I bring you anywhere without you terrorizing someone?"

"What? Knowledge about the dangers of UV rays is very important. Clearly these teachers are failing in their jobs." Carmilla affirms. "Please tell me you never want kids."

"Maybe we'll see how you do with a kitten first." Laura places her hands on her hips, scrutinizing.

"Cats are a much more enjoyable breed of creature."

"Says the giant black cat." Laura smiles, and Carmilla smirks back. "I'm just going to finish up here.  _Please_  try to behave yourself."

"No promises, Cupcake. Speaking of…"

"I'll get you your dozen  _if_  and only  _if_  you promise not to give any more children nightmares! And the cupcakes are much better than the brownies." Laura wrinkles her nose, clearly familiar with the dry brownies already. Laura may have a sweet tooth, but she has standards, damnit!

"Fine." Carmilla drags the word out in a disgruntled manner as if a begrudging comment from a teenager. Laura chuckles, being reminded how young Carmilla can seem despite being centuries old. She pecks Carmilla on the cheek and power-walks off to the bake sale yet again.

"Wow guys, these look great." Laura observes the sloppily decorated cupcakes. She can tell the frosting was way too runny, and there's no organization to the sprinkles, but she had a chance to try one earlier and they were pretty good. Hopefully Carmilla doesn't mind the lack of proper aesthetics.

"Okay class, let's line up! Miss Hollis is going to ask some questions. If you have an answer, raise your hand and she'll call on you!" The teacher announces. They all gather in more of a clump than a line, although Laura notes the two girls that were talking to Carmilla stay near to the shade.

"Thank you for having me, everybody! Congratulations on having a successful bake sale!" Laura addresses the class. They all cheer in response. "The principal told me you guys have raised almost a thousand dollars for Multiple Sclerosis research! Good job!"

Honestly, it wasn't too much in the grand scheme of things, but every little bit helps. And it means a lot to the kids to know they're making a difference. Laura recognizes that. So she asks them all how they planned it, what each person made, what they learned about in class about MS, and what charity they were donating to.

"I think that this became a school-wide event is so cool! I heard from another class that someone in this class came up with the idea? Are they here?" Laura asks, and suddenly the energy crashes through the pavement. Everyone in the class goes quiet, and Laura doesn't even need her journalist intuition to tell that something's up. She watches as tiny heads turn to the back of the group to look at a little girl, hair covering her face, looking at the floor. Laura starts slowly. "Hey there. Do you want to talk about what inspired the idea?"

The little girl stands still for a moment, and then she bursts out crying and sprints into the school.

"Sasha, wait!" The teacher calls out.

"I'll go get her, Mr. Collins." Another girl, presumably Sasha's friend, offers. Mr. Collins nods.

"Bring the principal with you." He says. The girl nods and scampers off, and Mr. Collins approaches Laura. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's no problem. Um, do you mind if I ask what happened?" Laura inquires. Mr. Collins lets out a deep sigh.

"That's Sasha Suzuki. She… she was the one who came up with the idea. After I taught about it in health class, she pitched the idea to me. But…" He looks up at the school solemnly, the little girl currently tugging the principal through the double doors. "That gas leak yesterday. Her parents were caught in it."

Laura's hand flies up her to mouth with a gasp. She saw a list of the victims. She remembers seeing the name Suzuki. So Sasha's parents were two of the fifteen victims…

"That's so horrible. How is she even at school right now?" Laura gapes. Mr. Collins scratches the back of his head, sorrow prevalent in his expression.

"She didn't want to miss the bake sale. Sasha is… a very compassionate kid. That's why she even came up with this idea. Although, I think now she wishes the bake sale went towards the accident instead." He bows his head. "Such a shame. A gas leak. A freak accident, and now she's lost both her parents."

Laura bites back her tongue and her own tears, and she nods. "I hope she'll be okay." She mutters instead of yelling that it wasn't a gas leak, like she wants to. She looks down at her notes. "I think I have everything. The principal is obviously a little busy now, so make sure to tell her to update me on the final figures? She has my e-mail."

Mr. Collins nods. "Certainly. And thanks for doing this. The kids will be really excited to see themselves in the paper. And I'm sure it'll cheer up Sasha."

"Yeah. Um, it's what I do." Laura forces a smile, and turns to wave at the kids. They all seem to have moved on from Sasha's outburst. She makes her way back to Carmilla, who eyes Laura's hands suspiciously.

"Where are my cupcakes, Cupcake?" Carmilla questions, but she drops the thought when she sees Laura's face. "Whoa, what happened?"

Laura steps close, her arms crossed as she leans in and lowers her voice. "One of those kids – the one who came up with the idea of this whole thing – her parents died in the blast yesterday." She mumbles. Carmilla's face drops.

"Shit."

"She just wanted to help make the world a better place. She's in fourth grade so she's like, what, nine? And now both her parents are gone, just like that. And she's forever going to believe it was a gas leak. A freak accident. She's always going to question, why her? And she'll never know. So cruel." Laura's voice shakes, and Carmilla puts her hands on her girlfriends' arms in an attempt to keep her calm.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sometimes… sometimes these things just happen. Sometimes life is cruel-"

"Her parents are dead." Laura snaps, her eyes boring into Carmilla's. Carmilla nods slowly, silently cursing her tendency to be too blunt.

"I know." Carmilla sighs. "Listen cutie, you're a journalist. You're going to come across some pretty tragic stories. It's inevitable."

"Yeah, but at least I can usually preach the truth about those tragedies. Give them some meaning." Laura glowers. "Not with this, though. Nope. Just have to sweep it under the rug. No ethical crisis there."

"Laura-"

"I know, Carmilla!" Laura exclaims, the emotion finally breaking through the barrier as tears flow down her cheeks. "I know I can't do anything about it. I know it's 'better' keeping humanity in the dark. I know sometimes life just isn't fair. I don't want to hear it right now, okay?"

Carmilla reaches Laura's eye level and nods slowly. "Okay."

Silence hangs in the moment between them until eventually Laura sniffs and wipes her eyes. "Can we just go home?"

"Of course." Carmilla coos, taking Laura's hand. But Laura stops short, her arm tugging a bit from Carmilla's continued motion.

"Wait." Laura sighs. "I forgot your cupcakes."

Carmilla smiles, wiping a tear from Laura's cheek with her thumb.

"That's okay. You're the only cupcake I need." Carmilla kisses Laura's forehead, and then squints past her. "Besides, I can see them from here. They're a travesty to baking everywhere."

Laura laughs in spite of herself, shoving Carmilla slightly.

"Carmilla…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slight mix of light-hearted banter and angst. My favourite mix. It seems like Laura's resolve is starting to break down a bit. When will she crack? Hope you guys like this chapter! More to come...


	3. Lieutenant Dan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blast from the past time!

It's been a week since the "gas leak" explosion. Since then a variety of theories have popped up. Some are content with the gas leak explanation, but some people aren't. There have been accusations of it being a terrorist attack, or people have taken notice to the strange outcome of the blast and take it as a sign that the end of the world is once again around the corner. Some believe it was staged as a promo for a new movie coming out about radiation aliens. Others say it's a conspiracy covered up by the government. Some theories are more viable than others.

Of course none of them match up to the truth that Laura knows. None of them have any idea what's really out there, lurking in the shadows. Nobody has witnessed what she has – nobody except for the gang of misfits she fought beside back at Silas.

Too bad she doesn't really talk to any of them anymore, save for Carmilla.

"You know, you've had that far-off look in your eye for about the week now. It's starting to get old." Carmilla mutters, her fingers tracing the contours of Laura's arm. They're at home lounging on the couch together, the TV still on the last frame of a long-finished program they'd taped.

"What? Uh, sorry. I guess I've been in my head a lot lately." Laura sighs, shaking her thoughts off. No need to torture yourself with what you can't change, Hollis.

"And I thought  _I_  was supposed to be a broody one." Carmilla smirks, leaving a kiss on Laura's temple.

"You better catch up, then. Perhaps you should go to an empty field somewhere and look at the stars while you contemplate your existence." Laura teases. Carmilla almost purrs as she turns over to hover over Laura, her arms wrapping around her waist.

"I've found lately that I fail to do much stargazing when you're around, creampuff." She husks, leaning down to take Laura's lips in hers. Laura sighs, finding her tension start to melt away. Who knew the most comforting presence in her life would end up being a vampire?

"I don't know, last time we did that I certainly saw some stars." Laura murmurs into Carmilla's lips, which curl up into a small smile.

"Me too, cutie." Carmilla mumbles, starting to kiss Laura's neck. Laura's hands crawl up, clutching at Carmilla's shoulder blades. "You're my favourite constellation."

"Okay, Alice Walker." Laura tries to scoff, but her blush gives her away. Stupid vampire with her stupid poetic words that are stupid.

Carmilla hums a chuckle into Laura's skin. "Wish for nothing larger than your own small heart, or greater than a star."

"Tame wild disappointment with caress unmoved and cold." Laura shivers as Carmilla's hands start to brush the skin inside her shirt. Expect Nothing by Alice Walker. It was a poem Carmilla read to her shortly they finally deafeated the Dean, and it immediately became her new favourite. A new mantra to live by.

"Make of it a parka for your soul." Carmilla murmurs, finishing off the stanza. She hopes the words will sink into her veins, to remind Laura to take things in stride and not letting the letdowns of life harden her. Carmilla's still terrified that one day, Laura will become a dark abyss of nihilism like her. At least as she is now, Laura helps to balance out her contrived notions of the world.

Laura's eyes start to flutter shut as she grasps at the material of Carmilla's blouse, pulling her closer, her leg sliding in between Carmilla's…

So of course Laura's phone goes off.

In a blur Laura barely registers, Carmilla is up and has Laura's phone clenched in her fist before it can even finish its first ring. The look in her eyes in murderous.

"No! Bad vampire! Don't you dare! I paid for that with my own money!" Laura warns. Another ring passes before Carmilla's grip loosens with an exasperated sigh and she hands it to Laura. "Thank you." Laura huffs, accepting the call. "Hello?"

" **Hey little nerd hottie**."

Laura's hand goes to her mouth in surprise, and Carmilla looks up from her sulking state when her super-hearing catches the voice on the other end. It takes a moment for Laura to register, so the person on the other end rushes out a panicked response to the silence.

" **Oh, dude, is this still Laura Hollis' number? I'm so sorry if it's not. That hottie thing, it's just a joke between us. I swear I'm more respectful to woman than that usually. I mean, I'm not perfect, but I'm working on it-** "

"Kirsch." Laura breathes out finally. "Yes, it's Laura. It's just, it's been so long. I didn't expect to hear from you."

She hears a sigh of relief on the other end. " **Laura! Thank god. It's… it's good to hear your voice again**."

Laura's brow scrunches. "I'm happy to hear from you, too. It's been radio silence for a while. Is everything okay?"

" **Yeah, no, it's great. Well, sort of. Are you still working at that newspaper?** "

"Yeah, I am. Why?" Laura questions.

" **I'm in the city. I was wondering if… If we could meet. Well, you and Carmilla. I mean, if you're still together. I don't want to assume-** "

"Yes, we're still together." Laura confirms in unison with Carmilla scoffing in the background. "Of course, Kirsch. We'd love to meet up."

" **Great. Um, just one thing… I'm still on the move, so can you meet right now? I know it's last minute but I** _ **really**_ **need to talk to you guys…** " Kirsch pleads, and Laura's mouth creases into a worried frown.

"Sure thing. We'll do a late lunch. Do you know Café Le Fanu?"

" **I can find it. Meet me there ASAP, okay?** "

"We'll be there. Don't worry." Laura assures him.

" **Thanks, Laura. Seriously**." Kirsch sighs.

"No problem. What are old friends for? See you soon." Laura expresses before hanging up. She looks up at Carmilla, who is giving her an unimpressed expression.

"He couldn't have waited a few hours?" She grumbles.

"He sounds really anxious, Carm. Besides, with what he's been doing the past few years… I really want to hear what he has to say." Laura urges. Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"I can almost guarantee that with what he's been doing, it's nothing but bad news." Carmilla states, leaning against the couch and looking Laura over with heavy eyes. "I can, however, guarantee a good time if we stay here…"

"Stop with the seduction eyes. We're going to see Kirsch. It's been too long." Laura huffs, walking past Carmilla with conviction. Carmilla lets out a defeated groan.

"It's these times I wish I had been reanimated as a succubus." Carmilla mutters, following Laura to the door.

"Tame wild disappointment, remember?" Laura smirks, leaving the apartment. Carmilla stands there a moment, scowling.

"Perhaps I do need to work on my game…" She mumbles under her breath, and then stalks through the door after Laura.

* * *

They didn't recognize him right away, mostly because of how much older he looked. Not in a matured vibe way, but in a physical attribute way. He had grown in a decently scruffy beard, and his cane used to support his right side certainly helped to age his look. But he still has that joyful smile and enthusiastic eyes when he sees them.

"Laura!" He exclaims, hobbling up out his seat and over to them, taking Laura into a hug first.

"Kirsch, you look good." Laura expresses, voice muffled by his large torso.

"Like a bona fide lumberjack." Carmilla interjects as Kirsch pulls away, and he touches his beard.

"Yeah! After Will- uh, J.P. grew in that beard, I kind of wanted to try it out. Sick, huh?" Kirsch beams.

"If you like that sort of thing." Carmilla drawls in a bored tone of voice, but Kirsch just laughs.

"Nice to see you haven't changed. I'm guessing you don't want a hug, too?" Kirsch asks.

"Not unless you want to lose your other leg." Carmilla mutters, and Laura gapes at her.

"Carmilla!" She snaps, but Kirsch looks unbothered.

"Nah, it's fine. I've gotten used to it." He taps his right leg with his cane and a metallic sound rings out. "I'm like that guy from the Forest Gump movie, right?"

"Right." Laura gives him a soft smile, but then grows serious. "So what did you want to talk about? You sounded a little… frazzled on the phone."

His face also falls and he gestures quickly to the table he had saved. "Uh, yeah. Come sit. We have a lot to catch up on."

"We sure do. It's been, what, three years?" Laura recalls, sitting down with Carmilla. Kirsch nods while taking his own seat.

"Yep. I mean, I know we've been sending e-mails every few months but we haven't actually  _seen_  each other since, you know… everything went down." Kirsch's frown increases and he gives Laura a careful look. "How are you doing? You know, after… everything."

"I'm fine. I've been way more worried about you. Those e-mails were always pretty vague. I was always just glad to hear you were alive." Laura says sincerely, although it was clear she quickly skimmed over the topic of herself.

"I know. I'm sorry. I tried to pop into internet cafés as much as I could, but I didn't have much change and, like, not enough time to really update you." He gives a guilty look.

"I liked hearing where you were, though. Spain, South Africa, Israel – even North Korea at one point. You must have been all over." Laura recollects.

"Usually coupled with a statement that you thought you were getting close. So, beefcake? Any update?" Carmilla raises her eyebrow, and Kirsch looks at his hands in his lap.

"Well, that's kind of why I wanted to see you guys." He mumbles, looking back up at them. "I found her. I found Danny."

Silence falls over the table. Carmilla looks expectant and waits for him to continue, but he seems too overwhelmed with emotion at the moment. Laura leans close, hoping to help him out.

"Wow, Kirsch. That's amazing. She must not have been easy to track." She says sympathetically, and Kirsch nods while wiping away a lone tear.

"She didn't make it easy. Three years." He chuckles to himself. "Three years of searching and I finally found her."

"How is she?" Laura asks gently after a moment.

"Kind of intense." He gazes off, looking preoccupied with the memory. "When I found her, it was in a graveyard. Kind of cliché, right? Finding a vampire in a graveyard." He relays, and Carmilla snorts. "She was fighting something. I have no idea what it was. Some sort of… big blob. It had like human limbs sticking out of it though. It was gnarly. But she beat it and then I stepped out. And it was like… she was expecting me."

"I'm surprised you're still alive." Carmilla states.

"Danny wouldn't hurt me." Kirsch affirms harshly. "I mean, not anymore. Not since the Dean got obliterated."

"I don't know. A new vampire without their sire? They're certainly a loose canon." Carmilla informs.

"What do you mean? She's not under your Mother's control anymore, right?" Laura questions, and Carmilla shakes her head.

"That's the problem. My Mother was basically the  _only_  control Xena would've had. For the first century or so, vampires have to fight against… animal instinct." She glances at Laura for a moment, almost looking embarrassed by this fact. "A sire helps to direct the urges in a more productive way. Why do you think I was so compliant with the supernatural con-game?"

"So it's, um, against your will?" Laura questions, looking at Carmilla sadly.

"You aren't really given a choice, no. I'm certain Lieutenant Dan is right that Big Red wouldn't have taken half his leg off had she not been under the sire." Carmilla's fingers curl over the surface of the table. "It's part of the reason I would never turn you. How would I know if what you felt toward me was genuine?"

Again silence falls over the table, and Laura puts a comforting hand on Carmilla's shoulder and squeezes.

"And what happens when the sire dies?" Laura inquires.

"Loss of control." Carmilla darkens. "At least until they start to gain their own control in their next century. Consequently that's also when the sire bond begins to fade, thankfully." She looks up a Kirsch, who has been listening intently. "But Clifford hasn't had that luxury. She's probably fighting the urge to kill constantly. Hence why I'm surprised you're alive."

"She did look a little… wild, but I figured that's because she just got done killing that big limb-thing, you know?" Kirsch explains. "But like, she didn't hurt me. Like I said, it was like she was expecting me."

"What'd you talk about?" Laura questions.

"We didn't talk long." He frowns. "I was just so happy to see her again, but then… she told me something big was going down, and that I was in way over my head and I should stop looking for her."

"Something big? Like what kind of something?" Laura asks, and Carmilla leans in curiously.

"I don't know. She said something about how humanity was in danger? And like, she's trying to stop it, whatever it is. Again, she was… intense." He mutters. "And then she… left. But it kind of freaked me out, you know? Like Danny is trying to fight limb monsters and stop the fall of humanity  _again_ , only this time she's all alone."

"I see where this is going." Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"I mean, you're a vampire. And Laura, you're super smart. Much smarter than me. I can't do much, but you guys can probably look into it, right?" Kirsch requests.

Laura bites her lip. "Kirsch, I don't know…"

Kirsch's face falls slightly. "Look, I know last time didn't go perfectly, but we did it, right? We saved the world, or something? We can do it again. It's what we  _do_. Like that Buffy chick you always used to talk about."

"This isn't the Whedonverse, Kirsch." Laura sighs. "I'll think about it, okay?"

Kirsch gets a hard look, but it softens quickly. "I get it. I know you've been through a lot. I just thought I should update you that the next apocalypse is coming, or whatever. So like, maybe build a bomb shelter, or something." He leans back in his chair.

"I'm sorry, Kirsch." Laura mutters. He shrugs.

"It was still really nice to see you. And hey, Danny looked super badass while killing the monster. Maybe she can take care of this on her own." He muses, standing up. "But, uh, I'm going to find her again. I want to help, somehow. If anything I can be a morale boost." Kirsch grins.

"Careful, you still look like a  _literal_  beefcake to her." Carmilla warns, and Kirsch nods.

"Morale boost at a safe distance. Got it." He shoots Carmilla a thumbs up and then leans over to hug Laura. "We'll keep in touch."

"We better. Don't be a stranger." She whispers into his ear. When he stands up he gives them a teary smile and turns around quickly, stalking out of the café before his emotions could get the better of him. Laura's limbs fall to her side and her eyes become unfocused. Carmilla eyes her cautiously.

"You okay?" Carmilla questions.

"Yeah. Great. First the blast and now this. Just another end-of-times prophecy." Laura breathes, putting her head in her hands. "Carmilla, I- I know how you feel about it. I do. But I- I'm just so conflicted." She looks up at Carmilla, tears now in her eyes. "I don't know what I want. I love just living out a normal life with you, but this… this is so big and Danny's alone out there fighting it and I just-"

"Hey," Carmilla coos softly, reaching over to rub her shoulders. "You don't need to put the weight of the world on your shoulders. Maybe this isn't your battle."

"Maybe." Laura mutters, rubbing her temples. "I think I… I think I need a second opinion." She looks up at Carmilla, and Carmilla searches her eyes.

"Do you need to see your dad?" Carmilla inquires gently. Laura bites her lip and nods slowly.

"Yes."

* * *

Carmilla watches solemnly as her girlfriend kneels down silently in the grass, Laura's hands pulling out bunches of it absentmindedly. Laura never knows what to say. She relaxes a little when she feels Carmilla's hand on her back, rubbing slowly.

"Why don't you start with hi?" Carmilla suggests, and Laura nods, a shaky breath escaping her lips. Laura's hands reach out, tracing the bold, sculpted out letters on his name on the gravestone just above the words  _Beloved Father_.

"Hi, dad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no!!! Poor Laura. What happened? Is this why Laura is so traumatized, or is there something more? Keep reading to find out~ (I hope you read that in a cheesy TV announcer voice. Maybe the one from The Powerpuff Girls)


	4. Lois Lane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New story element unlocked! Flashbacks.

**Three Years Prior**

Her body ached. She didn't think she had ever felt this tired and sore in all her 300 years of living. Or, unliving. But it was all worth it. The hilt of the blade clenched in her fist was proof of that, even if the stupid thing was heavy as all hell. Better to strain her hand than being in the hands of her Mother and Corvae.

And now she could return victorious back to the secret safe haven they'd found in the library. Back to Laura.

"Carmilla!"

She stumbled back a bit as the warm body hit her, Laura's arms wrapping around her neck as soon as she slid open the passage way. The sword clattered to the ground in favour of wrapping her own arms around the tiny body. Safe.

Laura stepped back quickly, analyzing Carmilla's disheveled state. "Sorry- I- I need to stop hurting you with my enthusiastic hugs, huh?"

"I don't mind," Carmilla smiled slightly, her hands on Laura's waist and the side of her neck. Laura looked her over shyly, tensely, still unsure of where they stood. Longing looks and a few desperate kisses didn't clear things up very much. They still needed to talk after all this was over, but right now their eyes said more than their words ever could.

"Um," LaFontaine looked between the two, "Are you going to come in or are you just going to, you know, stand there open for oncoming threats?"

Carmilla blinked a moment looking around her at the entrance of the passageway, let out a sigh, picked up the sword and moved into the library. The passageway closed behind her. Laura called it their own room of requirement.

"You got the sword." Laura grinned, her hand sliding over Carmilla's on the hilt. It made it feel a bit lighter. "And you're okay. I was so worried."

"Please, cupcake. You should know by now that I don't die easily." Carmilla scoffed, and with a groan she moved her neck until it popped painfully. "Although Xena certainly didn't make it a walk in the park."

"Is Danny… is she…" Kirsch perked up from the cot he was lying on, his right leg tied up with a bloody bandage at the stump just above where his knee used to be.

"Relax, beefcake. She'll wake up in a few hours with a bit of a headache, that's all." Carmilla smirked, looking smug with herself. Kirsch nodded gratefully.

"Good. Thank you for, you know… not killing her." Kirsch muttered, his face turning pale.

"Mr. Kirsch I must implore you not to move. It's crucial that you get your rest." J.P. knelt next to Kirsch, checking to see if his bandage was disturbed.

"Right, thanks Will. Uh, J.P." Kirsch winced while lying back down. "Sorry."

"I'm positive you'll get it right one day, my friend." J.P. smiled, giving him an awkward yet very light punch on the shoulder. "Uh, bro."

Carmilla eyed them, shaking her head. "He gets his leg torn off and he still made me promise not to kill her." She sighed.

"You didn't need to, clearly." Laura looked down at the sword again.

"Well I've still got a few centuries on her." Carmilla popped another stiff muscle in her shoulder. She'd never admit that Danny nearly got the best of her on several occasions. Thank god her Mother hadn't sent Mattie to retrieve the sword.

"Can I see it?" LaF asked.

"Try not to injure yourself." Carmilla handed it over, and LaF carefully inspected it in their hands.

"Yeah, this is the Blade of Hastur alright." They nodded. "Let me just put this in a safe place so it can't consume anyone's soul."

Carmilla felt a gentle hand on her cheek, and Laura's eyes were glistening as she looked at her.

"You did it. Without the sword, your Mother and Corvae can't open the seventh gate. We won." Laura beamed proudly, but Carmilla gave her a bittersweet smile.

"For now. But I know my Mother. She'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. It's only a matter of time before she finds the library and storms it with a squadron of Corvae foot soldiers. And then what?" Carmilla questioned, and Laura dropped into a determined expression.

"And then we'll be ready. We'll drive them back. Protect the sword at all cost. We have to." Laura stated, although the subtle frailty of her voice betrayed her doubts.

"They'll just keep coming. You're only human, cupcake. You can't keep this up forever." Carmilla grasped Laura's wrist. "The only way to end this is to kill my Mother. For good."

"But… what about Perry?" Laura whimpered, and then looked over at LaF who had returned from hiding the sword away. They looked solemn and shared a glance with J.P.

"Actually, um, there may be a way to save Perry  _and_  kill the Dean." J.P. said tentatively.

"What? How?" Laura gaped. LaF shifted uncomfortably.

"Jeep and I have been piecing together some of these old scrolls, deciphering them." They walked over to the nearby shelf, picking up a series of old scraps of paper sloppily taped together. "We made a breakthrough while Carmilla was out getting the sword, but… you aren't going to like it."

"Let me see." Laura approached LaF, who hesitated before handing it over.

Carmilla watched Laura carefully, seeing her forehead crease as her eyes darted across the parchment. Then, her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped open slowly as she reached the end of whatever she was reading. She seemed to teeter a bit, looking back up at LaF.

"And it has to be me?" Laura whispered in the meekest voice Carmilla had ever heard out of her. LaF looked away, not being able to meet Laura's eyes.

"You're the only true human here. Kirsch and I can't because we've been… 'tainted' by the anglerfish. So yeah. It has to be you." LaF finally allowed themselves to look at Laura. "Believe me if I could, I would. I'd do anything to save Perry. But I could never ask you to… to…"

"Oh for Christ's sake. What are you two being so cryptic about?" Carmilla snatched the parchment from Laura, who barely moved from her posture. Carmilla tried to make sense of the glyphs and the notes of Dr. Frankenstein and their monster. Once she found a cohesive pattern, she began to read.

And that's when she felt ice flow through her veins.

"No." Carmilla's voice shook, her hands fighting the urge to just tear the ancient collage apart and set it aflame. "No."

"It's a last resort, obviously." LaF quickly pipped in, and Carmilla looked at Laura, cupping her face.

"We'll find another way. Okay? There's another way. There's so much literature in here. There's got to be another way." Carmilla assured Laura vigorously. Laura's still-wide eyes burrowed into Carmilla's.

"And if there's not?" Laura questioned, her throat dry. Carmilla shook her head, swallowing the imposing lump in her throat.

"I won't let it be the only way." Carmilla growled, turning back to LaF and J.P. "Find another way."

"Yes. Of course." J.P. jumped up. "It's much too soon to take such drastic action."

"Yeah, don't worry Laura. Just forget about it." LaF declared. "We still have to comb through four more sections, and I'm pretty sure there's some other hidden sections we haven't found yet. So, you know, hold tight."

"Okay." Laura nodded, sitting down against a bookshelf. "I'll come help in a bit."

"Right. Take your time." LaF agreed, giving Laura a guilty glance before disappearing down a corridor of books.

"Um, keep precaution that he doesn't cease his breathing." J.P. gestured to the slumbering Kirsch, and then followed LaF. Carmilla flopped down next to Laura.

"I hope you're not thinking what I think you're thinking." Carmilla muttered, and her eyebrows rose in surprise when Laura's hand snaked into hers.

"It's an option." Laura mumbled, her head falling over to rest on Carmilla's shoulder.

"No, it's not." Carmilla's jaw was tight. "Not yet."

"You can't protect me forever, you know." Laura sighed, snuggling more into Carmilla's side.

"I can try." Carmilla whispered, squeezing Laura's hand tight and staring into the dusty floorboards. She was so tired, and in this moment she had Laura with her, safe. She closed her eyes, hoping to get some much needed rest.

She's startled by the sound of the Silas ethereal net tone.

"Was that…?" Laura inquired, leaving Carmilla's snug side to go to the screen. Carmilla followed, looking skeptically at the notification on the screen. Laura clicked it, and a video feed popped up.

They were looking at the inside of a house, it seemed. There was a doorway to a kitchen, and the camera panned over a hallway lined with doors. It continued its journey, and soon a couch appeared on screen, along with a TV, and a big bay window with the blinds drawn. All the colour drained from Laura's face.

"That's my house." She barely breathed out. Carmilla looked between Laura and the screen, concerned. "Why am I seeing my house?!"

Then a familiar face plopped itself in front of the screen, one that they recognized as Perry. Both knew that wasn't really her.

"Greetings, my pets." The Dean crooned. "I see you're still in the library, that obnoxious excuse for a condemned building. It's evaded my detection so far, but, at least other abodes were much easier to track down." She gestures to her surroundings, a sickly sweet smile on her face.

"What are you doing there?!" Laura interrogated darkly, but the Dead tutted.

"You mustn't interrupt, moppet. Didn't daddy dearest teach you better manners?" The Dean husked, and the camera panned over again to reveal two Corvae members in their usual swat gear surrounding a middle-aged man tied to a chair and mouth taped over.

"Dad!" Laura shouted, reaching toward the screen. "Let him go! He had nothing to do with this!"

"Ah, but my dear,  _you're_  involved in this. Like a mosquito that just won't quit. I'm a very hands-on Dean, you see. When a student misbehaves, I always make sure to visit their parents to help collaborate for a solution to the problem." The Dean states, walking into frame again. Laura's hand clutches at Carmilla's sleeve.

"You don't have to do this." Carmilla glowered, and again the Dean tutted.

"I certainly didn't have to, until you once again bowed to the will of Princess Persnickety and stole The Blade of Hastur from my grasp." The Dean tilted her head. "Now tell me, whose fault is this  _really_."

"You can have the blade." Laura snapped. "Just let him go."

"Oh, darling," The Dean smiled. "I appreciate the gesture, but I'm reclaiming that blade no matter what. I can promise that." She sauntered over to Laura's dad, placing a hand on his head. He struggled a bit, seemingly shivering from her touch, and Laura tensed. "You have, however, been quite the vexing little meddler, haven't you? Sabotaging me at every turn. I can't have that. And I'm sure you know from my precious daughter that my punishments can be… severe."

"Don't. Please. I'll do anything." Laura begged, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

"You can have me." Carmilla jumped in. "I'll go back to you. Me for that man. That's the deal."

The Dean actually laughed. "And you expect me to trust that you'd simply go back to being a loyal minion after this man is safe? I never thought you were this much of a fool, Mircalla. And you already know I've made my decision." The Dean stepped away, brushing a curl from her face. "No, the moppet can keep you. Have fun picking up the pieces. I'll see you soon."

And then she snapped her fingers.

The sound of muffled screaming from behind the tape, skin chaffing as it struggles against the rope. The chair scraping against the floor. A tuft of greying hair clenched within the Corvae's fist. Eyes bulging, locking with Laura's one last time. The knife rising. All happening before they could blink.

The blade slid across his throat.

Red.

" **NO!** " Laura screeched, lunging at the screen. " **Dad, no!** "

Carmilla pulled her back, shielding her with her body and turning her away.

"Don't look, Laura." Carmilla tried to say soothingly, but her rage was evident. "Don't look."

Laura's screams echoed within the walls, causing Kirsch to jump awake and LaF and J.P. to sprint back.

"What? What the hell happened?" Kirsch demanded, seeing the state Laura was in. Both Carmilla and she had crumpled to the ground, and Laura was shaking uncontrollably, screaming and sobbing out incoherent babbling. Carmilla looked up at the screen. It had gone black.

"My Mother sent us a little message. She killed Laura's father." Carmilla stated, deadpan.

"Oh shit. Laura…" LaF regarded Laura with compassion and pity, but none of them knew what else to say. There's nothing they could say.

It took a few hours before Laura came out of hysterics, and a few hours more before she snapped out of yet another catatonic state. Carmilla held her the whole time, whispering comforting nothings as she always had.

"We'll make her pay, Laura." Carmilla murmured. "I can promise that. She will pay."

"Yes. She will." Laura croaked out. Her voice was almost gone from all the screaming earlier, and this is the first she had spoken something coherent since watching her father die.

"They'll all pay." Carmilla nodded, resting her chin on Laura's head. There's silent understanding between them for a moment before Laura spoke again.

"And I know just how to do that."

Again Carmilla felt that ice in her veins.

"Laura, no." Carmilla begged, her throat feeling tight. Laura looked up at her.

"I have to." Laura concluded. "They killed my dad. Time to return the favour." She pulled away, standing up shakily. "LaF! Bring me that scroll you put together."

LaF looked up in disbelief. "Laur, we can still do more research-"

"There isn't time!" Laura exclaimed, throwing her arms up. "People are getting hurt. People are dying. Every moment she's still alive is a moment she's closer to opening the seventh gate, and god knows who else I might lose if that happens." Her eyes dart over to Carmilla briefly before looking back to LaF. "This is all we have."

"Laura, you're upset. I get that. What she did can never be forgiven. Believe me, I understand wanting her gone." Carmilla stood, fists at her sides. "But if you think I'm going to stand by and let you-"

"It's  _my_  decision!" Laura yelled, whipping her head toward Carmilla. Carmilla's jaw trembled, but she said nothing more. Laura took a deep breath and turned back to LaF. "How do we do this?" She questioned, and LaF's frown deepened, refusing to say anything.

"Um, well, we'll need some supplies." J.P. offered, and Laura nodded, her eyes nearly black with malice.

"Let's get started." Laura growled, her eyes glaring into the blank screen where she had last seen her father alive. "This bitch is going to burn."

* * *

**Present Day**

"Hi, dad."

Laura swallows the lump in her throat. Three years and this doesn't get any easier. She closes her eyes for just a moment and the image of him dying right in front of her flashes across her darkened vision. She takes in a sharp breath, and Carmilla squeezing her shoulder helps bring her back. Just like that, and both her parents were gone. And there was nothing she could do. Nothing she could do to fix it.

And yet she still forces a smile when talking to him. He'd want to know she's happy.

"I'm sorry it's been a while since I've visited. It's still hard, you know? Without you here…"

Her dad worked so hard to protect her, and maybe he went a bit far sometimes, but she couldn't even return the favour even a little bit.

Her stomach churns.

"Carm…?" Laura croaks out.

"I'm here, Cupcake." Carmilla crouches beside her, taking Laura's trembling body in her arms. Laura gulps down that lump in her throat and nods, slapping back on that smile.

"You remember Carmilla, right? She's still here, despite all my daily antics that probably stress her out more than anything." Laura chuckles, and Carmilla smiles lightly, brushing Laura's hair out of her face. "I'm still… so sorry you never got to meet her. I'm sure you'd love her. I know I do."

Laura glances at Carmilla whose smile has grown a bit more. For a moment Carmilla is glad it's been a while since she's fed, or her cheeks would definitely be flushed. She mouths an "I love you, too", and Laura smiles and turn back to the grave. Her face turns grim again.

"Listen, dad, there's… there's something going on. Something big. Again. And I should probably stay out of it, but…" Laura bites her lip, "Last time I got involved, so much went wrong. So many people got hurt because of me. I got involved, and I broke Carm's heart. I got involved, and I lost you. I got involved, and I lost-" Laura bows her head, and Carmilla catches the tears rolling down her cheeks. "So why is such a big part of me screaming to get involved again? Shouldn't I have learned my lesson?!"

A sob rips from Laura's throat and she hunches over, cradled him Carmilla's arms. Carmilla looks her over, her forehead creased in concern. She had an idea of how much this was tearing Laura up, but she didn't grasp the full magnitude of Laura's inner battle.

"I need to know what to do." Laura's voice shakes, looking back up at the grave. "I need to know if it was worth it." Her hand splays across the face of the grave. "Am I willing to risk it all again?" Her hand slides down the smooth surface until she reaches the weeds at the bottom. "To save the world?"

Laura grows quiet after that, and Carmilla lets her think. She can guess what conclusion she's coming to. She knows Laura's nature well enough by now.

"Carm?" Laura finally says. "My dad would want me to be safe."

"I'd agree with him." Carmilla nods, slightly surprised.

"But would he also want me to turn my back on who I am?" Laura questions. "If I had given up three years ago after he died, would his death have been in vain?" She continues. "If I gave up now, would his death be in vain?"

"Who's to say how things will turn out in the end?" Carmilla muses, and Laura nods.

"I want to at least  _have_ a say in how it will turn out." Laura looks up at Carmilla. "Maybe I haven't changed. Maybe I've only grown."

"You think that will make a difference this time?" Carmilla inquires, and Laura bites her lip.

"Maybe. Maybe I can still help without sacrificing everything I care about this time." Laura declares, and Carmilla gives Laura a firm look.

"You have no idea what you're getting into. No matter what, it's going to be dangerous." Carmilla warns.

"I know." Laura sighs, "But I want to at least  _try_. I want to  _try_  to stop more kids from losing their parents way too soon, if I can."

"Cupcake…"

"Someone once told me that it might not always turn out great, but it would be infinitely more tragic if I let that stop me from trying." Laura affirms, burrowing into Carmilla's eyes.

"You're making me eat my words, creampuff." Carmilla groans, rubbing her forehead. Laura's eyes soften, a hand running through Carmilla's hair.

"No matter how things turned out last time, I still tried. And I got you. I wouldn't change that for the world." Laura coos. Carmilla stares at Laura a moment before pulling her in for a tender kiss. She pulls away, resting her forehead against Laura's.

"I suppose it wouldn't change your mind if I told you I happen to own a cabana we can escape to and live out the rest of our days together away from any danger?" Carmilla breathes.

"Tempting." Laura smiles. "But no. It's  _my_ decision." She bites her lip. "But I can't decide for you. If  _you_ want to escape to that cabana…"

"Please. That would grow far too tiresome without company." Carmilla smiles, leaning back against her hands. "Alright, Lois Lane. What's the plan?"

Laura grins and leaps on Carmilla with a hug. "Thank you." She whispers, and Carmilla notices how much freer Laura seems when she's not fighting her inquisitive nature. Laura pulls away and stands up. "Well, first things first is to convince my paper to talk about this stuff. It might take some work, but they're journalists, right? They've got to want to get down to the truth…"

Carmilla brushes the dirt off her, watching Laura walk away while rambling about her plan to take down the powers that be. Here we go again.

She looks back at the grave, Laura's voice fading in the distance. She takes a long, tired breath.

"Don't worry, sir. I'll look after her. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The adventure begins. Again. How are they going to confront this dangers? What is this danger? And what did Laura do to defeat the Dean three years ago that scared Carmilla so much? Why haven't we seen LaF, J.P., or Perry in the present day yet? ALL GOOD QUESTIONS. All future answers.


	5. Kilobyte

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this chapter is a bit more "light and frothy" after the last one!

"You want to write a story on… the supernatural."

It's phrased as an incredulous statement more than a question.

"Yes!" Laura replies, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as usual. "It's time to uncover the truth!"

"The… truth."

Again, not phrased as a question.

The editor raises her eyebrows, and her spectacles leave the glare from the lights of the office just a moment so that Laura can see the criticizing in her eyes.

"Miss. Hollis, while I've always admired your enthusiasm, isn't it a tad early for Halloween-themed stories for our paper?" The editor questions in her trademark monotonous tone of voice.

"Oh, well, as much as I've enjoyed the papers' 'ten spooky urban legends that won't help you sleep at night' article you release every October, none of that is really rooted in any truth. But I want to find the truth!" Laura exclaims, giving a determined expression. The editor blinks, and then places a hand on Laura's forehead.

"Are you certain you're not feeling under the weather? You're talking nonsense." The editor scoffs. Laura shakes off the hand.

"It's not nonsense! It's real, and a matter of life and death!" Laura affirms. The editor stands there, sizing her up. Some curious co-workers poke their head up to look through the window of the office, obviously hearing Laura's shrill outburst through the open door. Some don't react. They're pretty used to it.

"I know what this is about." The editor says finally. Laura blinks.

"You do?" She questions, hopeful.

"Yes." The editor sighs. "This is about how I've been giving you very… tame assignments for a while now."

"No, that's not-"

"Message received, Hollis. I admire your gall. You've worked hard and it's time I recognized that." The editor nods.

"Wait, really?" Laura's eyes go wide.

"Really." The editor cocks an eyebrow. "Hollis, how would you like to report on a recent murder case?"

"A murder case? That's… that's huge! I'd be honoured to report on it. I-" Laura grits her teeth, letting out a sigh. "But this isn't about my career. This is about the truth."

"And what truth is that?"

"That maybe the unexplained can be explained!" Laura exclaims. "That maybe there really are ghosts and goblins. Werewolves and mummies. Even vampires!"

"Vampires?" The editor questions. "I didn't think you were one to get caught up in that Twilight drivel."

"Oh, trust me, I'm not. That book is not based in fact at all. Vampires don't sparkle in the sunlight. It just makes them grumpy. Well, grumpier than usual. And contrary to popular belief, vampires do cry. Especially during Marley & Me when they think I'm not looking." Laura rambles off before she can stop herself.

"Oh, really? And how could you possibly know this." The editor leans in curiously. Laura shrinks, rubbing her arm awkwardly.

"I just… might happen… to know one." Laura mutters. The editor is silent for a moment, but then releases a low, haughty laugh tainted with the rasp from years of two packs a day.

"Miss. Hollis, just because that girlfriend of yours seems to suck the life out of everything around her does not make her a vampire." The editor states.

Laura goes red. She  _knew_  her editor still held a grudge against Carmilla after last year's Christmas party.

"Look, I know I sound crazy," Laura starts, and the editor nods in agreement, "but if you had seen what I experienced, what I've lived through at Silas University during my school years, then you wouldn't think I'm crazy." Laura mumbles darkly, and then turns away for a moment. "Of course I would  _show_  you if all my footage and videos hadn't mysteriously disappeared after everything…"

"Convenient." The editor crosses her arms, looking done with the conversation. Laura takes in a deep breath. If she can't convince one person, how is she supposed to convince the rest of the population?

"You can't tell me you're never wondered." Laura challenges. "That you've never thought about the things that creep just beyond the corner of your eye. I've known you've seen them, or at least a whisper of them. I saw it in your face the day of the blast. So why don't you take a stand? Why don't you investigate? Were you not a journalist at one point? What turned you into such a coward?"

The editor stiffens, her eyes narrow, and then she strutted over and gingerly shut the door.

Oh, she's so getting fired.

"There's a difference between cowardice and stupidity, Miss Hollis." The editor sighs. She closes the blinds on the office windows so that no one can look in. "Of course in our line of work we see inklings of strange phenomena. Of course we're curious. You think you're the first bright-eyed journalist to come in here and request this?"

Laura waits silently, and the editor looks away, pinching the bridge of her nose. It's a motion riddled with regret.

"The first person I gave permission to do some investigating in the paranormal, or what have you, they ended up dead within a week." The editor sighs, looking back at Laura. "So I'm going to tell you what my editor once told me about the subject when  _I_  came to him just like you have now," the editor leans down to Laura's height, so close that Laura's breath can be seen on her glasses. "Give up."

Laura's hands clench into fists, and her eyes darken. "You'll find that I'm not the kind of person to take that advice, ma'am."

The editor leans back, drumming her fingers against the top of the desk. "I was afraid you'd say that." She mutters. "I fear I can't allow you to dig into this and have it be associated with this paper. You start spouting these conspiracies, people don't take us seriously anymore. Or worse, they do take it seriously, and then they go looking for it. That's how people end up dead. I won't let this paper be responsible."

"I just want to get answers. I'm not looking to cause pandemonium." Laura promises, and the editor shakes her head.

"I don't want you to draw any unwanted attention to this paper. As you've said, I've seen what that blast can do." The editor recalls, looking solemn.

"I see. I understand." Laura breathes, and the bites her lip. "Then, I quit."

The editor blinks at her. "You really are serious about this, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Laura nods. The editor pinches the bridge of her nose again, then lets out a sigh.

"Very well. Pack up your cubical." The editor states, reaching over her desk. "And… take this with you. It's the case file for that murder. At least, what the police allowed us to see. Perhaps you might find something interesting that I… would not approve of publishing."

"Really?" Laura's eyes widen. "Thank you, ma'am."

"I sincerely hope you're careful, Laura." The editor wishes. "I don't want more blood on my hands."

"Uh, yes, of course. I'll be careful. Um, thank you. For everything." Laura rushes out, gripping the file in her hands. "I'll just, um, yeah, I've clearly taken up enough of your time. I'll go. I'll…"

"Laura." The editor stops her before reaching the door.

"Yes, ma'am?"

The editor looks Laura up and down quizzically. "If it's true what you said about… mixing with vampires, you should probably consider keeping better company."

Laura flashes a smile. "Trust me, that's the last thing you need to worry about." She states, walking out the door.

* * *

"I see your endeavours proved fruitful." Carmilla notes, pushing off the lamppost she had been leaning against after seeing Laura exit the building with a cardboard box of her stuff.

"Actually, it was!" Laura states. "I got my editor to admit that something strange was going on. Plus I got something of a lead."

"And?" Carmilla urges, eyeing the cardboard box. Laura rolls her eyes.

" _And_ I may have lost my job, okay?" She huffs, and Carmilla shakes her head.

"So much for not making sacrifices this time around." Carmilla mutters.

"Hey, in the grand scheme of things, this is a pretty small price to pay. Besides, don't you have centuries of fortune built up, plus whatever you inherited from your Mother? I think we'll be fine while I'm in between jobs." Laura argues, and now it's Carmilla's turn to roll her eyes.

"When I signed onto this relationship, I was not expecting to become your Sugar Momma." Carmilla grimaces. "Please, never make me use that term again."

"It's just temporary! Until after we stop this new cryptic 'something's coming' threat." Laura assures her, and Carmilla rolls her eyes once again.

"Okay girl genius, but wasn't your plan to release a story with your paper and gather intel from other journalists as well as the population?" Carmilla questions.

"And warn them!" Laura adds, but then sighs when she acknowledges Carmilla's point. "I admit it's a road block. But, we can get past that."

"How?" Carmilla tilts her head, and then her jaw locks when she notices Laura's sheepish look. "No, Laura, not another vlog… I swear to god…"

"No, not this time." Laura promises. "I told you, I've grown. I'm going to do this a bit more anonymously."

"Okay. Again, how?"

"By  _blogging_!" Laura exclaims, and Carmilla lets out a groan. "It's basically the same thing except now the world doesn't have to watch us make-out when I forget to turn the camera off – which was often."

"I pity them." Carmilla drawls. "And how do you think this 'blog' will be any different from any of the other websites run by crackpots shooting out their paranoias?"

"Because mine will be rooted in fact! Starting with this." Laura thrusts the cardboard box up so Carmilla can grab the file on top. Carmilla side-glances Laura for a moment before taking the file. Her eyes narrow as she reads it.

"A murder victim with limbs missing and glowing blood at the stumps?" Carmilla reads off. "How the frilly hell did you get this?"

"The editor gave it to me." Laura states, almost proudly.

"And  _why_  did she give you this?"

"I'm not sure." Laura shrugs. "Probably because she saw a bit of her young self in me and couldn't help but quench my natural curiosity."

"That moron." Carmilla grumbles. "I knew I didn't like her after she couldn't take a joke at the Christmas party."

"You set her dress on  _fire_."

"She  _looked_  at me funny!"

"Regardless!" Laura huffs. "Limbs missing and glowing stumps. Like the glowing blood of the blast victims. And the limb monster Danny was fighting. Maybe it's all connected somehow."

"Maybe you humans are just taking too many party drugs that your insides are literally turning into a rave." Carmilla sighs.

"We'll never know until I get that website running and we start investigating!" Laura proclaims, but then she stops dead in her tracks amidst their walk back to their apartment. Carmilla looks back, confused at Laura's sudden helpless expression. "Except, I don't know anything about coding or HTML."

Carmilla smiles, and she could almost kick herself for helping Laura get into what is possibly more danger, but she can't help but admit that she doesn't love the light Laura exudes when she's on the case.

"Well, then it's a good thing we happen to know someone who  _was_  nothing but code for a good couple of decades." Carmilla smirks.

Laura grins, and the light is back.

* * *

Of course J.P. works in the development department of a big tech company. Why would he work anywhere else?

He's about the only one Laura and Carmilla have regularly kept in contact with since 'everything'. Regular, as in at least once a week rather than every couple months like Kirsch. They have computer problems often.

Luckily this means J.P. was just an urgent text away from him inviting them to his office immediately.

"J.P!" Laura is about to leap on J.P. with an enthusiastic greeting-hug, but she stops short and sticks out her hand instead.

"Ah, I see you remembered my, er, aversion to human contact. Much appreciated." J.P. shakes Laura's hand and turns to Carmilla, nodding. "Miss. Karnstein."

"Kilobyte." Carmilla grunts. J.P., used to Carmilla's generally cold demeanour and still aware he looks like her deceased 'brother', turns back to Laura.

"May I ask what the issue is? Did your computer get invaded by one of those Trojan Horses? Nasty things. I recall dealing with them when in the library catalogue. Always empty promises…"

"No, nothing like that." Laura stops him before he can delve into a bad memory. "We need you to create a website. And help us get it out there to the public. A kickass website."

J.P. furrows his brow. "I apologize, you want a website about… kicking an arse?"

Carmilla lets out a groan. "She  _means_  high quality. If you're going to be an immortal vampire then you're going to have to brush up on your current slang terms." Carmilla shakes her head.

"Ah, er, right." J.P. pales. "Then what would this, erm, website be about?"

"Stupidity." Carmilla mutters. Laura glares at her.

"Carmilla!"

"Well, it is." Carmilla jams her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "Nancy Drew here lost her job today because we heard there are some sort of  _spooky_  forces messing with the world, possibly leading to its demise. She wants the website to once again throw all caution to the wind and grab the attention of every Big Bad around here just for the chance that she might be able to gather enough information to stop it."

"Ah." J.P. blinks. "Forgive me. That was… rather a lot to take in."

"But I'm going to be  _safe_  about it this time." Laura claims, still glaring at Carmilla. Her expression softens looking back at J.P. "And obviously you just have to make the website and make it visible. You don't need to get more involved more than that."

"I see." J.P. thinks for a moment. "If it wouldn't trouble you both too dearly, I would like to request my full participation in this conquest. I'd like to help in whatever way I can. What's a slang term I can use here? Um… 'Balls to the wall'?"

Carmilla nearly smacks herself in the forehead.

"Wow, J.P., I mean you don't have to… I mean, after last time, I'd understand if you want to stay away-" Laura rambles, wide-eyed, but J.P. waves her off.

"Honestly, Miss. Hollis, whether I like it or not, I am a vampire now. I, too, would like to gain information on this new world I've become a part of. So, count me in, as they say." J.P. states, and Carmilla thinks it's a much improved vocabulary choice. "I'm sure anyone would be prepared to join the cause, if you asked."

Laura knows what he's referring to.

"Yeah… that's another thing. Can you not tell LaF about this? I know they would help, but I just don't want to put them through that again, if I can help it." Laura mutters. "Besides, I haven't talked to them for three years, except for that awkward time I ran into them at the super market. It just wouldn't be right to ask."

"I understand." J.P. nods, and Laura bites her lip.

"How is LaF?"

"Busy. You know, with their lab activities. Less reanimating corpses and more keeping bodies already alive by finding cures for diseases." He relays. "Last I talked to them, they were rather focused on finding a cure for Melanoma after receiving a fairly frantic letter from two grade-school girls…"

"Good. That's good. It's good. They're saving the world in their own way." Laura swallows the lump in her throat. "And… Perry?"

J.P. looks on solemnly, and Carmilla shows a flicker of interest.

"No change, sadly." He sighs. Laura's hand clenches at her chest and her eyes find the floor.

"It'll be different this time. I promise."


	6. Molly Laurie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes a little domestic Hollstein, a little investigative girlfriends, and a little bit of "oh my god what the SHIT".

It took about eight videos the first time for Laura's plight to gain any traction, so you know, she wasn't too discouraged when her website "Inhuman Interest" didn't garner much attention after a week. After two weeks, however, she was starting to feel a little down about it. The site had all but three hits, two of which she was sure was from her own computer and cell phone. The other was from someone who left a comment thinking the website was about a Marvel franchise. She didn't think they'd stick around.

Laura wasn't giving up, though.

It was kind of nice having some time off now that she didn't have to work anymore. Carmilla was ecstatic they had much fewer interruptions and Laura wasn't complaining either. Of course, they're just sort of enjoying the calm before the storm. Judging on past experience, investigating can get messy. Fast.

Laura looks up at Carmilla from the pasta she's making for herself, whose lounging on the couch reading something probably about the laws of the universe. Carmilla's diet was, well, restricted, and she usually vouched for sweets when it came to human food, so Laura did all the cooking. Mostly for herself, but sometimes Carmilla would try a bit and compliment it in an off-handed way. Laura didn't even know if Carmilla could taste it properly, but she appreciates it.

That's Carmilla for you. Stoic yet sensitive – caring in her own way. Laura still couldn't fully wrap her head around the fact that Carmilla seemed to live for her and her alone, but at least she knew Carmilla was happy. She had told Laura once, after a particularly vigorous and active night together, that she had never thought she would have ever found this level of happiness again. Laura had barely choked out a reply before Carmilla had fallen into a deep slumber, her arm draped over Laura's torso. So Laura elected to leave a kiss on Carmilla's forehead and ponder how she ever got so lucky.

She thinks about that night whenever Carmilla is being a brat. It helps her move through it.

For the most part, though, Carmilla gives so much for her. And even through this new crusade, even though Laura knows how much it bothers her…

"Hey," Carmilla mumbles when Laura had unconsciously come up behind her, wrapping her arms around her neck and resting her lips on her head.

"I love you." Laura murmurs, taking in the damp, earthy smell of her girlfriend.

Carmilla pauses for a moment before tilting her head up. "I love you, too. Did I do something?"

"All the right things." Laura turns her head to nuzzle her cheek into Carmilla's hair.

"Well, not that I don't appreciate the random praise of my actions, but what brought this on?" Carmilla questions. Laura slips around the side of the couch, sitting down and settling in between Carmilla's legs.

"I was… just thinking." Laura shrugs, her finger tracing a circle on top of Carmilla's knee. Carmilla tilts her head slightly, waiting for more. "You ever just… get that rush of gratitude for someone? Where it just hits you like a train just how much someone means to you. How much you appreciate their presence in your life."

"I'm familiar with the feeling, yes." Carmilla gazes at Laura endearingly. "Pasta making you feel sentimental tonight?"

"I guess so." Laura sighs. "It's just that, you're being too good to me. The one thing you've always wanted was just to have a peaceful life with me and I kind of… ruined that, these past two weeks. And yet you've gone along with it with minimal complaining."

"You give me too much credit, dollface. I'm really just in it for the sex." Carmilla smirks. Laura bats Carmilla on the shoulder.

"Jerk! Don't ruin the moment." Laura pouts. Carmilla gives Laura an amused look, but rests her head on her hand expectantly waiting for Laura to continue. "As I was saying, I just really appreciate you helping me, and letting me be me. Even if… being me is probably a danger to my health."

"I can't stop you. All I can do is make sure I'm there when you get your petit derriere into trouble." Carmilla smiles, pulling Laura closer. Laura flushes, looking guilty.

"Sounds like a high-stress job." Laura concedes.

"It's a living." Carmilla shrugs, pulling her in ever closer.

"Am I worth it?" Laura mumbles, face inches away from Carmilla's.

"The payoff is pretty nice." Carmilla purrs, taking Laura's lips in her own and moving against them slowly. Laura lets out a low moan from the back of her throat, and her hands clutch at Carmilla's shirt. She never wants these moments to end.

So you'd think she'd remember to turn the burner off.

"Ah, crap." Laura pushes away at the sound of the smoke alarm. "Sorry. I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you'll be back." Carmilla winks as Laura rushes off to the oven. Carmilla pulls out her phone while Laura skitters around in the background, shutting off the burner and fanning away smoke with a towel.

"Well," Laura starts, looking into the pan, "So much for pasta tonight."

"I just ordered you your favourite pizza." Carmilla waves her phone in the air, the order confirmation still on the screen.

"See, this is what I mean." Laura plops back down onto the couch. "Always looking out for me."

"Don't think I have much of a choice there, cutie." Carmilla gives her a soft smile, but Laura's smile falters. Carmilla lets out a deep sigh. "Oh god, you're going to make me get into 'the feelings' thing, aren't you? Alright." Carmilla adjusts herself, sitting cross-legged and reaching across the take Laura's hand. "Look, you happen to mean the world to me and I don't think you realize just how much you look out for me, too. You put up with me. You gave me a chance. You were the first person in centuries that made me feel like I was worth more. I'm still working on deserving that. So, yes, I'm going to look out for you. Happily."

"Carm," Laura croaks, diving forward to crash her lips together with Carmilla's, which she accepts ecstatically. It's not sweet and gentle. It's awkward and desperate, with teeth knocking together and squished noses. But it's still amazing, even if form gets sacrificed for function.

"Mmm, wait," Carmilla is the one to push back this time.

"What? What's the problem?" Laura pants, and Carmilla points toward the door.

"At some point in the next thirty minutes, there is going to be a knock at that door with a pizza on the other side. I'd rather not get started when I  _know_  an interruption is on the way." Carmilla explains, and Laura groans.

"I guess that makes sense." She whines. "After pizza?"

"After pizza." Carmilla smiles. "And Laura?"

"Mhm?"

"I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, but I would appreciate it if there were some form of self-preservation on your part." Carmilla looks at Laura pointedly, who shrinks a little.

"Noted. I'll be careful." Laura promises, and receives a peck of approval on the lips from Carmilla for that response. "You know… it'd be much easier to practice caution if I knew more about what I'm up against."

"Isn't that the point of your little website?" Carmilla inquires, fingers tracing down Laura's arm.

"Well, yeah. But even I admit it's a bit of a long shot that I'll happen to find someone who is… enlightened, and happens to be a certified Giles of this world." Laura mumbles. "It  _would_  be easier if I by chance were able to garner information from someone who's been part of that world for centuries."

Carmilla clicks her tongue. "You think if I knew something, I wouldn't have told you already?" She questions.

"Well, maybe. To protect me." Laura blushes, and Carmilla's eyes narrow.

"I don't work that way. You know that. Unlike that big red guard dog." Carmilla scoffs.

"I know. I just, I find it hard to believe you don't know much about the supernatural world beyond your little vampire bubble." Laura states, and Carmilla sighs.

"For your information, Mother didn't make that part of my life too enticing. I was much more drawn to the human side of the world, when I got the chance. My 'mythical' side… it's not something I've easily embraced." Carmilla mumbled, and Laura clutched at her hand.

"I don't blame you. I didn't mean anything by it. That… you belong there, or something. You can exist in whatever side you wish." Laura coos, pushing back Carmilla's hair.

"I know." Carmilla whispers, looking down.

"I just wanted to know if you had heard anything over the years, you know, maybe from your Mother or something. Maybe about how that side of the spectrum works. Anything helps." Laura urges gently, and Carmilla chuckles a little.

"There's no form of government, if that's what you're asking. No Ministry of Magic. Creatures just stick to their own kind, and fend for themselves." Carmilla explains.

"I see. So, no ghoul police or something that we can go to?" Laura asks.

"Afraid not."

"It was worth a shot." Laura bites her lip. "How about any history? Tension between clans or something like that?" She goads further, but Carmilla simply shakes her head and shrugs. "Right. Sorry for prying."

"It's what I get for dating a journalist." Carmilla smirks.

"Hey, at least I keep things interesting." Laura spouts.

"Can't deny that." Carmilla sighs, pulling Laura down to rest on her chest.

"Okay, no ghoul police. So I guess we'll just have to deal with the human police. I was hoping we could get more information on the internet before asking them about the murder." Laura ponders.

"The case is still open, lucky for you. Unfortunately, you're not part of a paper anymore so you have no jurisdiction with questioning an officer who is on the case." Carmilla replies, and Laura clutches at her arm.

"Well, then, it's a good thing I have a particularly intimidating girlfriend who I  _know_  is good at a bad cop routine." Laura looks up, pleadingly. "Please-"

"You don't have to ask me twice, Cupcake. Scaring the information out of a cocky little copper on a power trip sounds just like my idea of a Saturday night." Carmilla grins, which is returned by Laura.

"See, this is why you're amazing." Laura beams, and Carmilla raises her eyebrow.

"Still in it just for the sex."

"I hate you."

* * *

Laura's hands were twitching. This is the first time she ever tried to extract information from someone without starving them first – a technique she's found to be ineffective. She had a plan, but could she pull it off? It's not like she has a lot of experience. She never had to gather intel at benefit banquets or anything like that.

"You'll be fine, creampuff. I'll back you up." Carmilla nudges Laura gently, and Laura wrings her hands together.

"I hope so. Just, uh, getting all the nerves out now." Laura tremors, taking several deep breaths. Why couldn't she have attempted this first with a less intimidating target? Why did it have to be a cop?

"Are you sure you don't want me to just beat the information out of him?" Carmilla raises her eyebrow.

"No! We're better than that. I think. Last resort, okay? Let's try my way, first." Laura demands, standing a little taller.

"Well, no matter what happens, you know I'll break you out of jail if it goes south." Carmilla promises.

"Gee, thanks."

"What are girlfriends for?" Carmilla smirks, and Laura puts her arm across her.

"Shh, I think that's him." Laura observes, ducking down a little as she watches a middle-aged man walk out of the station. She remembered him from googling his picture after seeing his name in the case file.

"You might want to start by looking a little less suspicious while outside a police station." Carmilla whispers to her, and Laura just scoffs, getting a frustrated bout of determination.

"Let's just go." Laura mutters, trudging forward. Carmilla follows, looking much more nonchalant. "Excuse me, hi, are you Officer Phil Donovan? Head of the Henry Mosley case?"

He has a gruff expression when he looks at the two of them. "Who's asking?" He questions, and Laura thrusts her hand forward.

"Molly Laurie, grad student for criminal law. I'm working on my thesis, and the topic is looking into strange cases over the years and cross-referencing them to perhaps find a connection in the madness. I believe the Henry Mosley case would help in my research." Laura spouts out, looking much more confident than she did a moment ago. Officer Donovan gives her an exasperated sigh in response.

"Look, kid, I'm off duty." He mutters, continuing to head to his car. Laura leaps ahead.

"Great! That means you're not currently chasing any bad guys so it's the perfect opportunity to give me the low down." Laura pulls out a note pad. "Just a little information. Pretty please?"

"I am under no obligation to give you information on a  _classified_  case." He states, pushing past Laura. "Go home."

Now Carmilla rushes in front of him.

"What's the matter? You afraid that a student would crack the case before you could?" Carmilla challenges, and his eyes narrow.

"I don't know who you two think you are, but I'm not  _threatened_ by some self-righteous school girl and her pit bull" The officer glares. Laura mutters something about pit bulls actually having a very sweet temperament. "If you want information, just look at the news. See what they've reported. It's just a typical murder. Some guy probably pissed off another guy – maybe over a broad or something – and got his limbs chopped off. Nothing overtly strange there, other than the human condition. I don't think it'd help in your 'research'."

"What about the glowing stumps?" Laura asks pointedly, and the officer pauses as he's getting out his car keys. He looks at her, slowly.

"How did you know about that?" He interrogates, and Laura gives him a sweet smile.

"I have my ways. Not so self-righteous now, am I?" Laura beams.

"Alright. You got me. It's a bit of a strange one. Not that it matters. I'm just trying to find the killer, not what radioactive minefield this guy hung around when he was alive. For what we know, there's no connection." He shrugs.

"Oh yeah? Did you not notice the glowing might've been eerily similar to the victims of the blast a couple weeks ago?" Laura goads. Again, he pauses with his keys in the door lock.

"…You mean the gas leak? There was nothing to investigate. It was a gas leak." He mutters, pulling the door open. "You should just leave this alone, little girl. This is big, grown up stuff. You don't want to get hurt."

Carmilla growls, and within a flash she's put her hand on the door, slamming it shut and practically pinning him between her and the car. He actually looks nervous for a moment, and Laura can't imagine the look in Carmilla's eyes.

"Listen, officer dipshit. I don't know if you noticed this, but my girlfriend is a little stubborn. If you don't give her the information now for her damn paper, she's going to go searching herself. And then you might have  _another_  dead body to investigate. So, for the sake of your work load, I suggest giving her what she wants before things get messy." Carmilla glowers, and the officer seems to gather a bit of authority back.

"This… this is obstruction of justice!" He accuses, but Carmilla's eyes narrow.

"I thought you were off duty." She mutters, and the officer looks at Laura and back to Carmilla.

"I'm really sorry, but we are in a hurry." Laura says earnestly. He glances between the two again before letting out a sigh of defeat.

"Alright, alright!" He waves his arms so Carmilla will back off. She does, slightly. "We have one lead. Just a week before the murder, Henry Mosley signed up for one of those studies that you get paid for participating in. Something to do with the study of anatomy. Anyway, since then the company he signed up to do the study with has completely disappeared. There's no trace of them, anywhere. I'm not saying they're responsible, but it is suspicious, especially since his appointment was the same day he died."

"Fascinating." Laura's eyes go wide, jotting down some notes. "Do you know the name of the company?"

"Crypt." He answers. "But you won't find any information on them now. However, if you happen to find a connection with them in your… cross-referencing, then be sure to let us know. That's the best I can tell you." The officer shrugs.

"Thank you so much. Really. I appreciate it." Laura grins.

"Yeah, yeah." He rolls his eyes, giving Carmilla a stern look as he gets into his car. "I don't want to see you two around here anymore. Stay out of trouble."

"We will!" Laura waves as he pulls away. She turns around to Carmilla, clutching the notepad at her chest and releasing a relieved sigh. "That went well, I think."

"I'm impressed. You really are Lauranica Mars." Carmilla notes, and Laura blushes.

"Couldn't have done it without your particularly menacing methods. We make a good team." Laura beams, pecking Carmilla's cheek. She looks down at her notepad with a furrowed brow. "Crypt. A company that mysteriously disappeared after studying the murder victim's anatomy. Definitely a lead."

"Sounds like a science thing. Could be in LaF's department. Maybe they've heard of it." Carmilla suggests, but Laura snaps up to gape at her.

"No! I mean, don't get me wrong, I do want to talk to LaF again, but I meant what I said when I said I didn't want to involve them." Laura says adamantly. "Besides, we have to put that website J.P. made us to good use! I'm sure this company has reached out to people in the past, or ones like it. I'm sure  _someone_  is still alive. We'll just make a post and… see what happens."

"If you're sure." Carmilla shrugs, putting her arm around Laura as they walk. "But remember… self-preservation."

"I know, I know." Laura sighs. "I'll just be talking to people over the internet. What's the worst that can happen?"

For a moment, Laura thinks she catches sight of a young man with white hair in a suit watching them across the street, but when a bus passes by, he's gone.

Must've been her imagination.

* * *

" _Self-preservation_ , Laura." Carmilla growls from the couch, and Laura looks over from her laptop.

"What? This could be a huge chance to find out what Crypt really is!" Laura exclaims.

"Weren't you ever taught to not meet random strangers from the internet?" Carmilla scowls, and Laura rolls her eyes.

"Hey, if everybody followed that rule, then some best friends would never meet." Laura claims. Carmilla bows her head.

"This school system is failing us." She grumbles.

It had been a few days since Laura posted asking for information about the strange organization asking for human subjects to study anatomy, and this time she actually got a response. One person was relieved someone online was finally talking about it, because they were sure it had all been a dream – although they don't remember much. A few others talked about how friends or co-workers went to a study ran by Crypt and was never heard from again. But the most interesting was this one post by a user named "Bud".

_Inhuman Interest,_

_Thank you for bringing this to the intention of the internet, as I would not have found it otherwise. I was once a member of the organization you have spoken about. We were doing research on 3D printing and prosthetic limbs, and it was very fulfilling for a time. Eventually, however, I found that the route we were taking was turning quite a bit more sinister. I got out, but not without hassle. I am currently in hiding, but I would like to meet with you. I have some proof to show you that I believe would interest you immensely. Perhaps with it, you can use this site to bring down Crypt permanently. Understand that we'd need to be discreet, as I don't want to be found out and endanger you. Please think about messaging me privately with the intent of taking me up on my offer. I'm tired of staying silent. This villainy must be stopped._

_\- Bud_

"Come on, Carmilla. A past employee. One that could give us concrete proof of what's happening out there – of what's causing the blood to glow after people are killed." Laura states, but Carmilla just groans.

"An  _anonymous_  past employee. You can't take anything they say at face value. It's not safe." Carmilla argues.

"But it's worth a shot. What other choice do we have?" Laura questions. "Are you going to stop me?"

"No, but I'll be reminding you what an idiot you are the whole time. I thought you were being smarter." Carmilla whines, head hanging back over the couch.

"I am! I'm just as anonymous as this person, and they have no idea I have a vampire girlfriend who can change into a giant black cat at my side." Laura points out, and Carmilla flinches. "You are… going to be by my side, right?"

Carmilla pauses for a moment. "Of course."

"Good. Then there's nothing to worry about." Laura turns back to the computer and opening up the message window.

"This is why your dad was so overprotective." Carmilla mutters. Laura freezes, turning back to Carmilla.

"Don't." Laura glowers, and then returns back to the computer. Carmilla doesn't say another word.

* * *

"Bud" wanted to meet tonight, in an alleyway close to Café Le Fanu. So, if all went well, they could get a coffee afterward. And then maybe Laura could figure out a way to get Carmilla to talk to her again. She hadn't said a thing since Laura snapped at her back at the apartment.

Yet, she still stays true to her word. Carmilla follows close to Laura as they head toward the alleyway.

"This is it." Laura regards the long, dark alleyway. "They weren't kidding when they said, um, discrete."

Carmilla merely grunts.

"Carm," Laura sighs. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, it's just you know I'm sensitive about my dad. And I'm sorry we're here. I know this is pushing the boundaries."

"It's not that." Carmilla winces. "I have a headache."

Laura's face drops. "Oh. Oh, god. Is it really bad? And you came with me anyway. Ugh, I'm sorry. I didn't even know vampires got headaches."

"Apparently I do." Carmilla mumbles. "Let's just get this over with."

"Okay." Laura looks Carmilla over with concern. "I'll make sure to warm you up a nice hot mug of O neg when we get back home."

"That would be lovely." Carmilla sighs, cracking her neck. Laura loops her arm with Carmilla and they head down the alleyway.

Which is a lot longer than they expected.

"Augh, it's like a complex of different alleyways." Laura huffs when they get to the crossroads. "How am I supposed to know which way he's supposed to be? …Wait, he sent me a map."

She detaches from Carmilla's arm and opens her purse, pulling out her phone.

"Let's see… oh, he said the alley behind Le Fanu. It loops around that way. I think. Ugh… or it could be this one…" Laura stares at the screen. "I don't know. Frig. Maybe this isn't worth it. You're not even feeling well. We should just- Carmilla?"

But Carmilla is nowhere to be found.

"Carm!?" Laura turns around frantically, trying to catch sight of her dark hair or the sheen of her black leather pants – why did Carmilla always have to have such a dark wardrobe?! "Oh, crap." Laura groans, running down the alleyway to the right. "Carmilla!?" She shouts out again, but no answer.

This isn't good.

She shouldn't hang around here. Without Carmilla, she's basically helpless, but she didn't want to leave Carmilla behind, either. And she's worried. What could have happened to her?

"Carmilla!" Laura shouts one more time, feeling the dread fill her chest.

All she knows now is she probably shouldn't be in this backend maze all by herself. She turns around to backtrack and starts to pull up Carmilla's contact to call her, but she feels relief when she see's someone was standing behind her.

"Carm? I-" Laura stops short. That's not Carmilla. It's some man. Young, in baggy clothes and not exactly giving off a hygienic vibe. He looks sweaty, and his eyes are red and he's shaking like crazy.

"Are you Molly Laurie?" He asks, his voice thick. Laura blinks rapidly, recognizing the name she gave the cop.

"What? Um, are you Bud?" Laura asks cautiously, taking a step back. The man sniffs, wiping his sleeve across his face. He looks to be in agony.

Then he holds up a gun.

"I'm so sorry." He chokes out.

Laura doesn't even get a chance to scream as she feels two bullets rip through her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure she's fine. Maybe.


	7. Little Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of violence in this one, just to warn you!

**Three Years Prior**

Carmilla knew how dangerous this was. She didn't care. She had to try. She couldn't just sit by and let Laura throw her life away.

So she charged into her Mother's apartment once again, eyes wild, already crouched and ready for a fight.

She found who she was looking for on that feinting couch. The one where she had shared so many memories with Laura. Of course.

"I need your help." Carmilla said bleakly.

"Carmilla, darling, this is a rather brash move on your part." Mattie turned, placing a wine glass of blood on the shelf. "You do realize whose apartment this is. If she were here, you'd be dead where you stand."

"Well, she's not here." Carmilla trembled. "Are you going to take care of the job for her?"

Mattie stood up and sauntered over slowly, threateningly. Carmilla tensed.

"That is standard procedure. You should know that by now, little sis." Mattie growled. "So what could have possibly possessed you to come here and take that risk?"

"I suppose I hoped that you still had more loyalty to your sister than you did to Mother." Carmilla swallowed hard, trying to stand taller.

"You know I can turn you into powder just by the flick of my wrist, right?" Mattie laughed, grabbing Carmilla's jaw. "It's that Hollis girl again, isn't it? She's the only reason you'd lose all common sense like this."

"I'm about to lose  _her_ , Mattie." Carmilla muttered, feeling the tears start to fill her eyes before she could stop them. She yanked away from Mattie's grasp, crouching down again. "I know you're under Mother's thrall again, but… I'm willing to take you on. If I subdue you, you owe me a favour. A pact of honour to override the thrall."

Mattie stared at her a moment, amused, and then she released a hallow laugh. "Still entirely too predictable." Mattie glowered.

Then in a flash, Carmilla was slammed against the wall. She fell to the ground, groaning. She didn't even have the time to blink before Mattie had the better of her.

"Get up." Mattie spit. "Give me a bit more of a challenge."

Carmilla slowly looked up, her eyes dark, and then she shifted, skin becoming fur, fangs forming menacing jaws, bones cracking into the place of a quadruped. Carmilla growled, crouching down before she pounced. Mattie easily avoided it.

"Pathetic." Mattie scoffed, and with another swift movement, slammed Carmilla once again between the dividing wall. The picture clattered to the floor, and Carmilla, in her cat form, let out a growl of pain. "Come on, now. Does this girl really mean this little to you?"

Carmilla sprung up, muscles tense, before charging at Mattie again. But this time, she was smart, she dove at the last second, leaping up above her and taking a swipe to where she sensed Mattie's movement.

Mattie's designer coat tore. She wasn't going to like that.

Mattie let out a shriek, tackling Carmilla to the ground. She felt some of her ribs crack as more items tumbled off the wall and shelves. She kicked out, knocking Mattie back for a moment, and rushed to the corner of the room. Teeth bared and looking almost demonic, she circled around Mattie. Mattie had simply stood up, brushing herself off.

"Not bad, darling." Mattie had the ghost of a smile on her face. "But you'll have to do better than tha-"

Before Mattie could finish, Carmilla lunged, taking out Mattie's legs. But Mattie's arm punched up, and Carmilla smacked against the ceiling, and she crashed against the floor, groaning. She felt Mattie's boot against her neck.

"Well that's disappointing." Mattie sighed. "You talk big but when it came down to it, you couldn't even fight for the girl you love. How sad."

With a roar, Carmilla swiped her claws, causing Mattie to phase to the side. And then, with alarming speed, pinned Mattie against the wall. Mattie gave Carmilla smirk.

"She's doing the ritual, isn't she?" Mattie asked, making Carmilla pause. "She's going to sacrifice her own heart to destroy Mother's soul."

Carmilla let out a weak growl in response.

"Isn't this what you always wanted? For Mother to be destroyed? And now you have a willing participant. You'll finally be rid of Mother's hold forever. Isn't that worth one, insignificant life?" Mattie inquired. With that, Carmilla shifted back to human form, still keeping Mattie held against the wall.

"Laura is worth more than anything." Carmilla rasped, lower lip trembling.

"Fool." Mattie crooned, and with a screech she went for Carmilla's throat.

But Carmilla was ready.

She turned easily, elbow slamming into Mattie's chest and throwing her against the floor. In a blur, Carmilla loomed over her, hand at her throat, ready to tear it open.

Mattie laughed through Carmilla's exhausted panting, but when she raised her hands again, she clapped slowly.

"Well done, my little monster." Mattie smirked. "You win."

Carmilla blinked at her incredulously, and crawled off. She shuffled herself back against the wall, favouring her ribs.

"You let me win." Carmilla muttered. "I've sparred with you enough times to know when you hold back."

"Hmm." Mattie shrugged, standing up and dusting herself off once again. She delicately sat back down on the couch as if she hadn't just went through a vampire scrap. "You're stubborn and hopeless, Carmilla. That doesn't mean I wish to see you killed."

"But I thought it was 'proper procedure' to carry out Mother's wishes while she's out." Carmilla snorted, wincing at the pain in her ribs.

"Just because I was reanimated by her again does not mean I'm under her thrall. I'm still over a thousand years old, my dear. I have control over this whole vampire business by now." Mattie chuckled, checking her nails.

"Then why have you been helping Mother to defeat us?" Carmilla accused, frustrated with her sister.

"Isn't it obvious?" Mattie asked. "Mother always gets what she wants. Why bother fighting it anymore?"

"Not always." Carmilla muttered. "She killed Laura's father in an attempt to break her. Instead it could be her demise. Laura's on a rampage."

"Ah, yes, but she had a back-up plan for that." Mattie pointed to Carmilla. "You're proof of that. It's the only reason you're still important to Mother. She knows you won't let that girl take her own life. And here you are."

Carmilla let out a bitter laugh. "That's where Mother's wrong. You really think I'm here to ask how to stop her? If I wanted to stop her, I could easily just overpower her and keep her locked up somewhere without your help." Carmilla mumbled. "But I don't want to invalidate her choice."

"Oh god, you really do love her." Mattie scoffed.

"Yeah." Carmilla smiled sadly. "It sucks."

"Well then, what do you want me to do about it? Convince her otherwise? If she didn't listen to you, she won't listen to me." Mattie pondered.

"I want to know if there's a way she can survive the ritual." Carmilla requested, and Mattie looked like she was fighting every fibre to keep her from bursting out laughing.

"So you want to keep the girl you love  _and_  be rid of Mother? You must know that's too good to be true." Mattie rolled her eyes. "It's impossible."

"There has to be a way." Carmilla gritted her teeth.

"The ritual involves stabbing her still-beating heart removed from her body in the middle of a circle. There's not much you can do to survive that." Mattie shook her head.

"You survived without a heart for centuries." Carmilla glowered, and Mattie paused.

"…Yes, because I'm a vampire. She's a human, and we can't turn her or that would render the ritual useless. Then we'd still have Mother and another baby vamp to take care of. It's hardly practical." Mattie mused.

"There has to be a way." Carmilla muttered, her nails digging into her palms. "There has to be."

Mattie clicked her tongue, leaning forward. "There may be a way, but it's risky. There's no guarantee it'll work."

Carmilla perked up at that. "I'll take it." She stated. "I'll take any chance I can get."

Mattie sauntered over, gingerly pulling Carmilla up from the floor. "Very well." Mattie agreed. "But it will come at a price."

Carmilla chuckled, closing her eyes and picturing Laura leaning against her. She smiled.

"Doesn't it always?"

* * *

**Present Day**

Carmilla's head had been pounding since she left the apartment with Laura. She always joked about Laura's rambunctious behaviour giving her a headache, but she had never before meant it literally.

It only got worse as she followed Laura deeper into the alleyway. But Laura was right. Vampires don't get headaches.

Not unless they're deliberately given to them.

Carmilla didn't have much time to reflect on this thought before Laura stepped away, pulling her phone out of her purse. And that's when her skull practically exploded.

She couldn't tell which way was up or down. Everything was pain. She might as well have been in Relativity, the painting by M. C. Escher – once a painting she was fond of. Right now she wanted to burn it.

Laura. She had to focus on Laura.

But she couldn't find her, no matter how much she reached out for her. By the time her head cleared, she was on the roof of one of the buildings, feeling slightly disorientated.

Damnit. Something had discombobulated her and she'd left Laura helpless. This was no accident.

"Carmilla!"

Carmilla hears Laura's voice faintly down below, further into the complex of alleyways. Without hesitating she leaps across to the next building and sprints along it, keeping an ear out for Laura.

"What? Um, are you Bud?"

Carmilla doesn't need her super hearing to catch the two gunshots that go off.

No. Fuck, no.

She reaches the end of the building in time to see Laura slump against the wall and to the ground. The man who had caused this is still standing there, gun raised, shaking.

Every muscle in Carmilla's body flares up.

She dives from the building, and the guy doesn't have much chance to react before she tears the gun away from him. Hand and all.

He's still screaming when she slams him against the wall.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life." Carmilla growls, and he's crying and struggling against her to no avail.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He keeps repeating over and over again through his tears.

"You're  _sorry_? You just  _shot my girlfriend_." Carmilla snaps, slamming him further into the wall. She feels a satisfying crunch of something breaking.

"I had to!" He cries out. "They promised me another hit! I just needed another hit, man! I'm desperate! I'm not a bad person! I promise!" He sobs, going into hysterics.

"Who? Who made you do this?" Carmilla demands.

"I don't know!" He chokes out.

"Think harder." Carmilla glowers, making something else pop in his body as she pushes into him more.

"Ah! Stop, please!" He wailed, blood starting to drip from his mouth. "Crypt! Something called Crypt!"

That name again.

"Please. Let me go. I'm sorry." He whimpers. Carmilla closes her eyes for a moment, but when she opens them again, they're filled with rage.

"You shot my girlfriend." Is all she breathes out.

And then she rips out his throat.

He falls to the ground, sputtering for a moment, and then grows silent. Carmilla drags her tongue along her hand, tasting the blood. She grimaces. Definitely the blood of a drug addict.

She turns then, rushing to Laura's side.

"Laura? Laura, are you still with me?" Carmilla asks frantically, helping to prop her up. To her relief, Laura stirs.

"Carm? Wha…?" Laura mumbles, taking in her surroundings. She sees the body across from her, and then quickly looks at her chest. "Oh my god!"

"Hey, are you okay?" Carmilla strokes her hair soothingly, but Laura starts to panic.

"Am I  _okay_?! I was just  _shot_! In the  _chest_!  _Twice_!" Laura cries, and Carmilla tugs her close.

"But you're alive, right?" Carmilla points out.

"Not the point!" Laura groans, letting out a cough. Carmilla grasps her face, looking her over meticulously.

"Are you in pain?" Carmilla asks gently.

"Yes!" Laura gasps. "A lot! And it's hard to breathe."

"One of the bullets might have punctured your lung." Carmilla deduces.

"Not  _helping_." Laura chokes out a sob. "I should be  _dead_. Most normal people  _die_  when they get shot in the chest."

"We both know you're certainly not normal." Carmilla sighs, tilting Laura carefully forward. She sees exit wounds. Good. They won't do any more damage outside her body.

Carmilla tilts her back, resting her forehead to Laura's temple and taking a moment.

_She's alive. She's alive._

But she's also in pain, which is more than enough to make Carmilla feel sick.

She notices Laura shaking and takes her face in her hands.

"Hey. You're okay. You're alright." Carmilla assures her.

"I have two holes in my chest!" Laura croaks.

"But you're  _alive_." Carmilla reaffirms. "I've been shot in the chest before. No big deal."

"But I'm human!" Laura coughs again. "I'm a bit more fragile."

"Right." Carmilla nods. "At least we know this whole invincibility thing works for you. Well, to a point."

"Yeah. Wish we didn't have to test that out." Laura mutters. "Where did you go, anyway?"

"I'm not sure." Carmilla blinks. "Something got into my head and I had no idea where I was going. I'm sorry I left you."

"Are you okay?" Laura questions, and Carmilla has to laugh. Laura's the one with bullet wounds and she's worried about Carmilla's wellbeing?

"I'm better." Carmilla chuckles, but a frown creases her face. "Actually, my headache's coming back."

Laura's eyes widen in horror and she clutches at Carmilla. "Please don't run off and leave me again."

"No. I won't." Carmilla promises, looking around. She sees Laura's purse laying nearby. Her head twinges when she sees it. "I'm not going far." Carmilla reassures Laura, kissing her on the forehead. She carefully approaches the purse, the pounding in her head intensifying. She reaches in and clutches the culprit.

Immediately she leans over and vomits.

"Carmilla!" Laura exclaims, trying to scramble up to get to her girlfriend's side. But she winces, being stopped by the pain of her wounds.

"I'm okay." Carmilla wipes her mouth, stumbling back. "Did you know that was in there?"

Laura looks past Carmilla, seeing what was now lying on the ground. A batwing bracelet.

"Oh my god! No, of course not! Why would I ever willingly carry around something that would make me feel off to you?" Laura gasps.

"I figured." Carmilla nods, retching a bit. Something flashes in her eyes, and then the bracelet incinerates in a burst of flames. Carmilla stands up straight, shaking herself off now that the interference with her mind was gone. "That was different than the one I gave you. What I gave you would just ward off vampires. This one was more powerful. It messed with my whole system."

"How did it get in my purse?" Laura questions, and Carmilla shrugs.

"Probably placed there by someone who knew who they were dealing with." Carmilla looks over to the dead body, as does Laura. "Someone didn't like you snooping around."

"Was he… one of them?" Laura inquires nervously, but Carmilla shakes her head.

"No. He was human. A junkie. Probably whoever set this trap offered him drugs in return. He was in withdrawal. Desperate." Carmilla deduces.

"And you killed him?" Laura gapes, and Carmilla shrugs.

"He shot you." Carmilla mutters, unconsciously grasping at Laura's hand. Laura looks at her with a cross of shock and affection. She should probably be more horrified, but Laura knows what it's like to be in a position to kill someone when Carmilla's in danger. "Anyway. They most likely weren't expecting you to survive this, so that's one thing we have on them. That doesn't mean we should stick around."

"Right." Laura nods, wincing and coughing again. Carmilla furrows her brow, cradling Laura in her arms.

"And we should probably get you to a hospital." Carmilla notes, and Laura lets out a weak laugh.

"Yeah, because that would go over well as soon as my chest x-ray shows there's a gaping hole where my heart is supposed to be." Laura mutters darkly.

"Good point." Carmilla sighs. "But for the record, for someone missing their heart, you certainly have a lot of it."

Laura smiles for the first time at any mention of her heart. "Maybe that's because someone's looking out for it for me." Laura coos, her finger tracing down Carmilla's chest, finding the chain beneath her shirt and circling the locket. Carmilla smiles warmly.

"I told you I'd keep you safe." Carmilla murmurs, carefully lifting her up. "Alright. Let's get you to J.P."

"God, we're going to owe him so many blood bags." Laura sighs.

* * *

It took some time to get back to their apartment since they didn't want to draw attention to themselves, and Carmilla carrying a gunshot victim while covered in blood didn't make that too easy. Laura was less of the problem though, since she didn't bleed much due to no blood circulation or something. Carmilla didn't think much about how it all worked. All that mattered was that, at least somehow, Laura's body was being kept alive and functioning.

The drug addict's blood was more of the hassle. Carmilla silently cursed herself for being so messy. It'd been a while since she killed.

J.P. came to their apartment as soon as he heard, and came with a lot of tools and anesthetics he had borrowed from LaFontaine for "redacted reasons. Please don't inquire further". Carmilla couldn't really stand to watch Laura having sharp metal instruments shoved in her chest while unconscious, so she elected it was a good time to take a shower.

But she can't stop think about Laura slumping to the ground. That image might haunt her forever. She knows that, had she not made that choice three years ago, Laura would be dead right now.

Hell, if she hadn't made that choice, Laura would've already been dead long ago.

Carmilla closes her eyes and lets the water rush over her. How could she have let Laura get hurt like this? She knows it was Laura's decision to go into that alley, but she still feels weak for falling victim to that bracelet. For allowing that crackhead to bury that lead into Laura's chest.

Carmilla knows she's not as strong as she used to be. What if she's not strong enough to properly protect the girl she loves anymore?

Her hand goes to the locket around her neck that she never takes off, hand enclosing over top of it. It's pulsing slower than usual, but still pulsing.

Can she trust herself to take care of something so precious?

Carmilla would let herself drown in her own emotions if she could breathe.

She decides it's been about an hour now, so J.P. might be done and she really doesn't want to rack up the water bill more than she has to. So Carmilla decides the pity party is over, and turns off the water.

She cleans her hair out of the drain because, well, Laura's been through enough tonight.

When she leaves the bathroom she sees J.P. there, sitting on the couch and looking exhausted. He stands up quickly, trying to look more put together.

"You can relax for a bit if you want, Jarvis. You did good." Carmilla sighs.

"Ah, yes, um, thank you. But I really must head back home. I am a fair bit weary after that whole ordeal, you understand." J.P. fiddles with his hands nervously.

"You and me both." Carmilla runs her hand through her wet hair, looking toward the bedroom. "How is she?"

"Stable. Obviously. There's not much danger of heart failure without, you know." J.P. shuffles for a moment. "But she's all patched up. Slumbered through the whole procedure, thankfully. She'll wake up in a few hours groggy and sore, but that's about it. Ah, and something interesting I noticed is that she  _does_  show signs of accelerated healing."

Carmilla's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Oh really? That's good to hear."

"Yes! I was quite intrigued when I noticed that the wounds were already starting to scar over. Not as well as how you or I would, mind you. She still needed medical attention to heal properly. However, she will be at 100% in just a few days. Quite remarkable." J.P. gushes, looking astounded.

"I suppose I'm not aware of all the… side effects of the whole heart-in-a-locket thing. All I cared about is keeping her alive, which so far it has." Carmilla mutters, hand once again touching her necklace. "But don't go analyzing her or anything."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I could hardly justify causing Miss. Hollis more duress." J.P. raises his hands defensively. Carmilla nods, walking past him to the fridge.

"You know, for a library ghost-data-vampire, you're pretty useful. So, here." Carmilla holds out four blood bags. "A thank you. Don't read too much into it. Just know your efforts are appreciated."

"Oh my. Thank you, Miss. Karnstein. You know I'd do anything to help out you and Miss. Hollis without compensation, but I do value this gift. Blood is uh, still hard for me to acquire." J.P. mumbles, looking embarrassed.

"Maybe I'll teach you how to properly rob a blood bank someday. Have to make sure you're on your A game if you're going to continue performing open-heart surgery on us." Carmilla winks.

"I accept this new opportunity for a bonding venture." J.P. smiles, but Carmilla sneers.

"No. No bonding. Just business." Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"Right. Uh, so I'll get out of your hair…" J.P. turns, but hesitates. "Ah, one more thing. Though Miss. Hollis is indeed stable physically, I must request that you remain gentle with her for the time being."

Carmilla's eyes narrow. "I believe how  _gentle_  I am with my girlfriend or not is really none of your business."

J.P. looks aghast. "Oh, dear! No, no, no, that's not what I was implying at all! Oh, my." J.P. seemed to swallow hard, looking flustered. "I meant in an emotional capacity. I can stitch her up as much as I want, but I'm certain being shot in the chest is a rather trying experience. Do you understand? She might need a tad bit of support to help her cope."

Carmilla sighs, looking at the ground. "Yeah. I figured that would be an issue." She mumbles. "Thanks, HAL. You've been a big help."

"Any time." J.P. bows slightly, looking eager to leave after their awkward miscommunication.

"And don't let anyone see the blood bags!" Carmilla calls out as he exits. Whatever. Let the neighbours be confused.

Carmilla turns toward her silent apartment, filled with a solemn atmosphere, and focuses her ears.

Soft breathing coming from the bedroom. Good. She had to make sure before she went in there.

Carmilla pushes the door open slowly, the light catching Laura's still figure in the bed. She can smell blood. Laura's blood. But it's faint. The computer glitch certainly did a good job. At least Will's body went on to do something of worth.

She leans over the side of the bed, taking in Laura's peaceful features. Hopefully she's having some sort of drugged up lucid dream about cookies and time lords. Escape from this reality a little while longer.

Carmilla brushes Laura's sweaty bangs to the side, dragging her fingers slowly and soothingly over her brow. Laura seems to react to her touch a little, letting out a soft murmur, but she doesn't stir beyond that.

The fact that these bullets ripped through Laura's skin so easily scared Carmilla. Even if Laura couldn't die, what did it mean that she could still get injured to such a serious degree? For Mattie, she was basically untouchable when her heart was in a locket, but Carmilla recognizes this is a different situation. She was hoping she would never have to truly figure out Laura's limits, but it looks like she doesn't have much choice now.

Leaning back against the headboard and continuing her gentle massage of Laura's hairline, Carmilla pulls out her phone.

"Mattie?" She asks into it after someone picks up.

" **Is that you, my little monster**?" Mattie's voice comes through the receiver silky smooth.

"Hey. How's Guatemala?" Carmilla asks, a small smile forming on her face at the sound of her sister's voice.

" **A little muggy, but I met the most delightful group of Mayan vampires. They taught me all about the delicious bloody history of this country, and have been showing me a peek of the bloody present**." Mattie raves, sounding ecstatic. " **But you didn't call to hear about my trip, did you? You never do call just to catch up**."

"That's not fair. I just know you don't like to be bothered on your excursions unless it's important." Carmilla argues.

" **Is that right? Then what, pray tell, did you consider important enough to interrupt my escapade? Wait, let me guess**." Mattie drawls patronizingly. " **Itty bitty titty committee**?"

Carmilla scowls. That's not one of Mattie's more flattering nicknames for Laura.

"Am I still that predictable?" Carmilla sighs.

" **Quite**." Mattie chuckles. " **So, what's the damage? Did you give her** _ **everything**_ **only for her to leave you in the dead of night, never to hear from her again**?"

"Luckily, Laura isn't nearly as predictable." Carmilla jeers. "She hasn't gone anywhere. She just… she got hurt."

" **I see**." Mattie reads the heavy emotions in Carmilla's voice instantly. " **But she's still alive, is she not**?"

Carmilla looks back over to Laura's slumbering form. "Yeah."

" **Then what's the problem, darling**?"

"This heart thing… it's worrying me." Carmilla bites her lip. "It keeps her alive, but at what cost?"

Mattie lets out a laugh. " **My, what a change. I believe I tried to warn you of the risks, but your exact words were 'I don't care. As long as she lives and breathes I can face whatever comes next'. And now you're telling me you're willing to listen**?"

"Yeah. Well. 'What's next' has finally arrived." Carmilla mutters. Mattie clicks her tongue.

" **I'm guessing these injuries weren't from a simple car crash. What trouble have you two found yourselves in this time**?" Mattie questions seriously. Carmilla removes her hand from Laura from just a moment so she can push between her own eyebrows in irritation.

"You don't want to know." Carmilla mumbles.

" **I'm sure**." Mattie tuts, and for a moment there's silence over the phone. "… **Well, Central America sure has been an experience but I think I'm prepared for a temporary change in scenery. I expect that where you are is nice this time of year**?"

Carmilla's eyes go wide. "No, Mattie, you don't have to- that's too much to ask. You can just tell me now and get on with your life."

" **Don't be ridiculous, darling. Clearly this is a delicate matter that needs my personal examination. I'll be there within a couple days. No questions asked**." Mattie declares, and Carmilla smiles in spite of herself.

"Well, if it wouldn't put you out…" Carmilla smirks.

" **Please**." Mattie scoffs. " **We may not be bound by any familial bonds except for having the same deceased wench of a sire, but you're still my sister. Now and forever. I'm always in your court**." Mattie smiles warmly. " **And as much as I express distaste for that cocktail you call a girlfriend, she does make you happy. I at least owe her that**."

"I owe you." Carmilla laughs quietly.

" **Don't you always**?" Mattie sighs. " **See you soon, sis**."

"See you." Carmilla replies, before ending the call.

She looks over at Laura who was completely oblivious to the conversation she just had. Laura is still pretty anxious around Mattie's presence, mostly because Mattie still hasn't eased up on the death threats, so that'll be a nice surprise for her.

Carmilla shuffles down next to Laura, draping an arm across her stomach while being careful not to irritate her wounds. She pushes herself close, starting to let the exhaustion of the day overtake her.

"We're going to get to the bottom of this. Of everything." Carmilla whispers, resting her lips against Laura's shoulder.

Then she closes her eyes, letting the rage fill her before she drifts away into sleep.

"And when we do, those bastards are going to pay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, she's fine. Totally fine. Maybe.


	8. Alura Lohils

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some angsty-fluff and exposition!

Laura hasn't felt this out of whack since the morning after of that party she went to with Betty, which is when said roommate consequently went missing and sparked the subsequent events that would define Laura for the rest of her life. So that's a good sign.

Everything feels heavy and hazy, and  _man_  her upper torso aches. It feels like someone put a fishing hook in her body in hopes to catch Lophii.

What in Hermione Granger happened?

Laura's eyes flutter open, the blurry ceiling of her bedroom coming into view. She feels so tired. And hungry. And like there's a hole in her chest.

Her eyes fly open at that thought. That's right. She was  _shot_. Laura feels her heartrate increase at the memory of the gun going off, and the sharp pain of-

Wait. Her heartrate? That's impossible.

Laura looks down at her chest, which is wrapped with bandages, and sees the locket resting by her left ribs. Oh, so that's why. Right. Sometimes when she hugs Carmilla tight enough, she can feel her heartbeat again. It kind of freaks her out sometimes.

Laura follows the chain to where it had slipped onto her from Carmilla, glued to her side and sleeping soundly. Laura has to admit, it's not every day you can say you literally gave your heart to your significant other. Laura had agreed to Carmilla wearing the locket because she recognized Carmilla was probably more capable of looking after it, but also because it forced Carmilla herself to be more careful. They're each other's hero.

Memories come flooding back to Laura of the batwing bracelet and the image of Carmilla losing her stomach contents in that back alley. Now that the initial shock of being shot twice is out of the way, Laura's filled with anxiousness. Someone tried to mess with Carmilla, and they succeeded. Someone had slipped a batwing bracelet in her purse at some point during the day and she had no idea, and that could've cost Carmilla dearly. Careless. Laura thought she was being smarter. Guess not.

She sighs - which hurts a little - and tries to wipe the negativity from her mind. Okay, so it turned out bad, but it could've been worse, right? I mean, they're both here, alive, or at least existing, and that's something. And they're together. That's a big something.

So yeah, definitely could've been worse. And from now on she's going to check and double check her purse and anything else that could hold a batwing bracelet. She's still learning, and this won't happen again.

Laura turns her head and presses her lips to Carmilla's forehead. Carmilla's eyes pop open immediately.

"Laura?" Carmilla asks, groggy.

"Hey, Carm." Laura smiles while Carmilla sits up, studying Laura.

"How you doing, creampuff?" Carmilla questions, cupping Laura's cheek.

"Remember when we were broken up, and you asked if I missed you, and I said 'like someone cut a hole in me'?" Laura recalls, and Carmilla smiles sadly at the memory. "Well, now I know that statement was pretty accurate, except now I'm feeling it literally."

"Well, at least you're taking this lightly." Carmilla smirks, and Laura tilts her head.

"Are you going to kiss me or what?" Laura requests. Carmilla grins, leaning in and pressing her lips to Laura's, and it's like a wave of tranquility washes over both of them. None of the stress of the past 24 hours matters. Just this moment.

They part with a gentle smack between them, and their eyes meet. Laura notes the concern in Carmilla's eyes.

"Are you really okay?" Carmilla inquires, making Laura let out another painful sigh.

"I think I'm feeling a lot of things right now, and 'okay'  _might_  be one of those things, but right now I'm not entirely too sure." Laura ponders, resting her head back. Carmilla nods in understanding.

"Well when you've had some time to digest, I'm here." Carmilla promises, pushing herself up. "You should rest up. I kind of lost my lunch last night and my only option was someone with drug-tainted blood, so I'm a little hungry."

"That's right… I totally forgot! You killed that guy!" Laura gapes.

"What would you have had me do, Cupcake?" Carmilla sighs, fixing herself in the mirror.

"I don't know. Send him to rehab?" Laura exasperates, wincing as she argues.

"I told you to take it easy." Carmilla berates, noticing. "And I can kill anyone who tries to kill you or me first. Those were our conditions."

"Fine." Laura pouts. Carmilla shakes her head incredulously, walking over and kissing Laura on the forehead.

"You should get some food in you, too. I'll go out and get you some breakfast." Carmilla offers, beginning to walk out if the bedroom. Laura sits up quickly, letting out a hiss of pain. Carmilla whips around at the sound. "You idiot! What are you doing?"

"You're going out?" Laura gasps.

"Yes, that was indeed where I was planning to procure your breakfast. I was thinking a bacon-egg wrap and a chocolate croissant. Why, is that not to your liking?" Carmilla glares. Laura's brow creases.

"No. I mean, yes. It sounds great. Thank you. But isn't it dangerous?" Laura's hands tug at the sheets around her. "They – whoever is out there – think I'm dead, but they know about you. They might… find you."

Carmilla tilts her head, carefully picking up her necklace by the chain. "You know I'll be careful." Carmilla swears, stuffing the locket into her shirt. "I'll be back soon."

"You better… or I'll deliberately go against your wishes and go out looking for you." Laura glowers, and Carmilla smirks, blowing a kiss.

"Love you, creampuff."

"Love you." Laura whispers, easing herself back down as she listens to Carmilla rummaging in the fridge for a moment, and then the shutting of their apartment door.

The next thirty minutes are filled with anxiety, fighting the urge to call Carmilla every minute, two treks to the bathroom for a stress pee, and far too much reflection on her not-so-near-death experience.

Far too much.

Laura's beyond relieved when Carmilla finally walks back through their door, and instantly throws her arms around her.

"Nghh. The hell?" Carmilla groans, making sure not to drop the bag of human food.

"I was so worried." Laura mumbles.

"You didn't need to be." Carmilla huffs, pushing her back gently. "But clearly I should've been. What the hell are you doing up?"

"I've been pacing here for the last ten minutes. I couldn't sit still." Laura mutters. "It's fine. I'm feeling pretty good, considering."

"Well, J.P. did say you had some form of accelerated healing. I guess he was right." Carmilla places Laura's breakfast on the kitchen island. "You still heal faster while resting, though."

"Wait… really?" Laura blinks.

"Mhm. Quite the perk, huh?" Carmilla smirks. Laura stares ahead for a moment, and then silently walks toward the couch, sitting herself down. Carmilla follows her curiously, leaning over to try and catch Laura's eye. "Well I'm glad you're finally taking my advice and taking it easy instead of jumping for joy at this news, which would be the proper response."

"I used to get paper cuts a lot at work, but they'd always be gone by the end of the day. I didn't think much of it. Just thought that maybe the cuts were always too small to be seen." Laura reflects, looking sunken. "I guess now I know that's not the case."

"And this is a… bad thing?" Carmilla questions incredulously.

"I guess not. It's just…" Laura breathes, fiddling with her hands in her lap. "I've been thinking a lot about what I am lately. What I'm supposed to be. And getting shot in the chest and living to tell the tale? It just… it doesn't feel human. Either that, or I'm actually 50 Cent."

"You bring up some interesting questions about 50 Cent and his gold chains." Carmilla muses, sitting down next to Laura. She bites her lip. "In around my 74th year, Mother had me rob the brand new British Museum for a priceless artifact. She was a collector. I was still young and sloppy. I ended up getting stabbed with an actual pitchfork through the gut before I escaped. It was the first time since I had died that I was inflicted with a fatal wound, except this time I couldn't die again."

"That must've been awful." Laura breathes.

"I remember it being a shock to the system. It was the first time I truly recognized what I had become. Not the fact that I hadn't aged a day. Not the arteries I had dug my teeth into dozens of times. Not the super strength or speed or anything like that. No, it was the reality that I no longer had the veil of mortality hanging over my head. Instead of feeling invincible, I felt crushed by the weight of my existence. Like I had cheated death." Carmilla recalls, closing her eyes. "It took a while to really accept that the usual laws of humanity no longer applied to me. But I did, eventually. Even came to embrace it."

"But at least you know where you belong." Laura mutters. "You're a vampire. Your existence has been reflected in pop culture and history for centuries, dating back to Ancient Mesopotamia. Even if there's some inconsistencies, you know what you are. Me? I have no idea. Am I a zombie? An empty shell? I'm neither human nor monster, so what in the name of Gryffindor am I?!"

Carmilla reaches over, grasping at Laura's shoulders and looking distinctly into her eyes. " _Alive_." Carmilla breathes. "You're someone who is  _alive_. Someone who thinks, feels, dreams, learns, creates, and makes unnecessary Harry Potter references at every turn." Carmilla states, and Laura smiles at that. "And you're the girl I love. So does it matter what you are? You  _exist_. That's what matters. We'll figure out the finer details later."

"I guess that's true. I've just… kind of been in denial about it for so long. And now I'm forced to face it. It's like I'm not familiar with my own body anymore… with my own existence." Laura bows her head, biting her lip. Carmilla cups Laura's cheek, tilting her head up to look back at her.

"Do you wish I hadn't done this to you?" Carmilla whispers, her voice cracking slightly. Laura places her own hand over Carmilla's.

"Carm, it wasn't only your choice. You asked my permission. Which, thank you, by the way. And I said yes. So I asked for this life. I asked to live." Laura sighs, leaning forward to snuggle in the crook of Carmilla's neck. "I guess you're right. It'll just take some getting used to… whatever I am now."

"I'll help you along the way." Carmilla promises, running her fingers through Laura's hair.

"You are the expert." Laura murmurs, closing her eyes. They sit there silently a moment, content with each other's presence, until Carmilla speaks up.

"So are you going to eat the breakfast I 'risked' my life for or what?" Carmilla inquires. Laura groans into her shoulder.

"Later. I'm sleepy." Laura mumbles.

"Do you always have to be so difficult?" Carmilla scoffs, and Laura turns her head and smiles against the skin of Carmilla's neck.

Just being alive isn't so bad.

* * *

 

" **Police are still looking for a suspect involved with the murder of a John Doe two nights ago in the series of alleyways off of Seventh Street. As of this time there are no leads on who could have caused this travesty, but reports on the wounds of the victim's body may point to a** _ **what**_ **. The victim was killed by what seems to be either teeth or claws of some sort of animal, and police are urging the public to watch out for any rogue coyotes or wild dogs in the city-** "

"Carm, can you turn that off?" Laura sighs from her desk in the corner, trying to browse her laptop – which would be a lot easier if her girlfriend's murderous antics weren't being projected for everyone to hear.

"What's wrong with admiring my handy-work?" Carmilla smirks from the couch.

"Your  _handy-work_? I'm sorry, but who left his severed hand and gizzard strewn across the pavement? I thought vampires were supposed to be more careful when disposing of bodies. Now they're out there searching for Wile E. Carmilla." Laura huffs.

"It's not my fault I haven't killed in a while. I'm rusty. And I was a little preoccupied with getting my mildly injured girlfriend to safety. It's not like they'll find me, anyway. They wouldn't know to look for a vampire. That's what's so great about being one of the universe's best kept secrets." Carmilla shrugs. "Besides, it's good to learn more about this pawn that Crypt used against us. Turns out he was just your typical friendless, kinless, down-on-his-luck man who had no other options that I graciously put out of misery."

Laura tries to ignore that last part. "Then he definitely wasn't Bud, or whoever. If there ever truly was a traitorous Crypt employee in the first place or if it was just a trap from the very beginning." She bites her lip, scrolling through the webpage. "I guess we'll never find out. That post is completely gone. No trace of it. I thought maybe J.P. could maybe find the source or something, but I guess that was wishful thinking."

"We do seem to be dealing with people who are good at causing havoc and covering their tracks. Honestly they would have succeeded in killing you if you weren't so… special." Carmilla comments, flipping through the channels.

"That's one way to put it." Laura mutters, leaning closer to her laptop. "There's been some posts from other people, though. They're wondering if I have any updates. Maybe I'll just make a post saying I'm okay and warn them to stay away from anything Crypt related and to spread the word."

"I wouldn't do that, Cupcake." Carmilla shakes her head. "Our only advantage against these people is that they think you're dead. I'd like to keep it that way. Don't give them a reason to search for you – unless you want to cut off all your hair and change your name, like they do in the movies."

Laura spins around in her chair and frantically grasps a lock of her own hair. "But I love my hair the way it is." She pouts.

"Me too, cutie." Carmilla smiles. "So don't post anything. Not yet. It might be useful later, though. For now, just stick to changing that fake name of yours. Maybe something better than Molly Laurie this time."

"Maybe I should just keep making different anagrams of my name. No one would  _ever_  figure that out." Laura teases. Carmilla rolls her eyes and turns off the TV, electing to hide her face behind her book instead.

"Shut up."

"Urala Lolhis. Raula Ohllis. Alura Lohils. Luara Illhos."

"I get it."

Unfortunately a slow knock at the door cuts off Laura's fun. Carmilla stand up right away.

"What are you doing?" Laura stands up, too. "You can't just answer the door! Someone might be out to kill you!"

"I believe they were out to kill  _you_ , Cupcake. They were out to give me a hell of a migraine." Carmilla shrugs.

"Well, still, it's too risky. I should answer it." Laura states, and Carmilla tenses.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Remember about making sure they keep thinking you're dead?" Carmilla argues. "Besides, I uh, have a feeling whoever behind that door isn't a danger to me."

"Just in case, though, I should answer it. I've already proved I can handle a gun shot or two." Laura declares.

"I didn't know you were so eager. Besides you're not the only one who can take a bullet – and I'd do it much better than you-"

They don't get to finish their argument before the door swings open.

"Honestly, darlings, you'd think if you were actually this concerned with safety, you'd lock the door." Mattie croons, and Laura's jaw drops.

"M-Mattie?!" Laura stutters. Mattie looks between the two and forms a smug smile.

"Here I am, dear, just as I told you I would be when we talked on the phone." Mattie chuckles. Laura turns to gape at Carmilla, who doesn't meet her eyes.

"Carm, can I talk to you privately?" Laura grabs Carmilla's arm.

"What's the point? We'd have to go down the street in order for her not to hear us." Carmilla scoffs.

" _Carm_."

" _Fine_."

Laura drags Carmilla into their room, shutting the door behind them.

"Why didn't you tell me your sister was coming to visit?" Laura hisses.

"Well, you seemed to be under a lot of stress what with the shooting thing and Mattie tends to cause you a lot of stress so I elected… not to tell you." Carmilla rationalizes.

"Well  _now I'm under stress_." Laura snaps, and she winces which helps make her point. Carmilla quickly reaches out to Laura, concerned, but Laura brushes it away. "Why is she here, exactly?"

"She has answers. Answers about your heart and the locket." Carmilla explains, and Laura pales.

"I… I don't know if I'm ready for those answers." Laura mumbles.

"Strange. Yesterday you were  _pretty_  curious about how it all worked." Carmilla points out.

"Yes, and also overcome with anxiety! You can't just… lump all of this on me at once." Laura grunts.

"Look, creampuff, I was perfectly content living a blissful life without a single thought about what this locket means but  _someone_  decided they couldn't live with themselves unless we were in danger! So, we've been forced to find out exactly how much your body can take. Don't pin all this on me, baby cakes." Carmilla glowers, and Laura gingerly crosses her arms.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Laura grumbles.

"You  _do_ realize Mattie played a big part in saving your life three years ago, right?" Carmilla states, causing Laura to roll her eyes.

"Oh, I'm  _so sure_  she had my best interest in mind." Laura huffs. Carmilla groans, grabbing Laura's hand and pulling her back out of the room.

"I hope you know that it's rude to invite a vampire into your abode without at least offering a glass of blood." Mattie snarks, observing the sign on the wall that reads This Is A Good Sign, one of the first decorations Laura bought for their apartment to replace the old one of room 307.

"It's times like these I wish that 'invited in' rule for vampires actually existed." Laura mutters under her breath, but Mattie just smiles.

"Munchkin, don't you look well for someone who was  _so_  injured it had my sister calling me in a tizzy." Mattie notes before turning to Carmilla. "Accelerated healing?"

"How did you know?" Carmilla questions. Mattie chuckles, strutting to a nearby recliner.

"I suppose it's time for a discussion. Although, I'm still waiting on that glass of blood. Long flight you know, and that curious flight attendant can only keep me satisfied for so long." Mattie clicks her tongue, staring at Laura. Laura rolls her eyes, rushing off to the fridge. Carmilla leans against the recliner, arms crossed.

"Cut Laura some slack, will you? She's been through a lot recently." Carmilla requests.

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" Mattie croons, and Carmilla shakes her head, heading to sit on the couch. Eventually, a glass of warm blood is shoved in front of Mattie's face.

"Here." Laura huffs while Mattie gingerly takes it.

"Thank you, although your manners have something to be desired." Mattie drawls. Laura's face scrunches up for a moment, going a bit red, before forcing herself to turn to the couch and sit down.

"So, you, uh, want to get right into it?" Carmilla asks, reading the tension of the room. Mattie crosses one leg over the other, taking a sip of blood.

"What do you want to know first?" Mattie inquires.

"How do I work?" Laura blurts out, and shrinks back a bit. "I mean, I just… I don't know how I'm functioning without a heart. Biologically, that should be impossible."

"My dear, you're thinking too scientifically." Mattie scoffs. "Your heart is bound to that locket by powerful magic, and therefore that is what keeps you alive. You're going to have to ditch the idea of your body running based off cellular structures and whatnot. There's no room for science when it comes to magic. It's simply something you must accept for what it is."

"So, what, I'm sort if some magical anomaly?" Laura gapes.

"In a sense." Mattie nods. "You're still human, you just run differently than other humans. Magic is your powerhouse. Kept alive by using that," she points to Carmilla's chest, where the locket is, "as an anchor to your body and mind. It's your life essence."

"So what does that mean for her mind and body?" Carmilla leans forward. "I get that destroying the locket would end her life, but what about her body and mind? Clearly they can still be damaged."

"That therein lies the problem." Mattie turns back to Laura. "As I said, you are still human, aka the stained glass windows of intelligent life. When I had my heart in a locket, hurting me would have been like trying to carve the Venus De Milo out of the side of a mountain with a safety pin. You aren't so lucky."

Carmilla swallows hard. "So, say Laura's body got… obliterated…"

Mattie leans back, looking thoughtful. "It's hard to say, but seeing as her life essence would still be intact, her consciousness would still continue on."

"Like a ghost?" Laura asks, feeling as pale as one.

"Unfortunately for you, no." Mattie smirks. "I'd expect it to be much more like being stuck in some sort of empty limbo, doomed to simply exist in the most juvenile form for all eternity. At least, until the locket is destroyed."

"Oh." Laura flops back against the couch. "No pressure."

"So the stakes are still high." Carmilla ponders, rubbing her chin. "A fate worse than death."

"The locket is, and only is, a method to keep you invincible and immortal. That seemed alluring to me, at one time, but I realized it was also a glaring weakness. As  _you_  taught me, I became completely helpless once it fell into the wrong hands. I couldn't have someone blackmailing me, so as you see, I haven't acquired another one. Plus, the process is quite…grueling, as you know." Mattie explains. Laura stares ahead, looking grief stricken.

"You said immortal." Laura points out. "Does that mean… I mean, do I age?"

Carmilla freezes and Mattie smiles. "You're thinking too scientifically again. Biology ages. Magic fades over time. While the magic of the locket is in place, you, as you are now, will continue to exist."

Laura's jaw drops, and goosebumps erupt across her body. She had wondered about the state of her mortality since the locket had been made, but she just kind of assumed her body would keep aging along with her heart inside the locket, since she wasn't a vampire. Apparently that wasn't the case.

"Oh, cheer up, pumpkin. Would you have really wanted to waste away into a skeleton and find yourself in that limbo without the release of death?" Mattie inquires. Laura sulks, retreating into herself. Carmilla, however, perks up.

"How do we keep the magic from fading?" Carmilla demands.

"Relax, sis. In this case the only thing needed for the magic to stay effective is to keep it close to the mind and body of the source. Since you're taking care of it and are steadfast determined to stick with this urchin, I'm sure that won't be an issue." Mattie describes. "Although even if you were to part, the bound on this locket is strong enough to last a few centuries at least."

Carmilla feels almost every muscle in her body relax. "Thank god." She mumbles. Laura gawks at her.

"Thank god? I'm going to outlive everyone! I'm going to have to keep changing my location and name over the years so that people don't notice I'm not aging! I didn't ask for this! I didn't want this!" Laura snaps.

"Well, I'm sorry to be elated that my worst fear won't come to pass. That I'm not going to have to have to hold hands with you as an old woman and have people stare. That I'm not going to see you slip away from me on your death bed. That I won't have to continue on in my immortality without you, forever believing that my own soulmate is gone and I may never experience that kind of love ever again." Carmilla glowers. "I'm sorry if you don't feel that's important."

"Carm… of course I'm happy I can potentially spend an eternity with you." Laura sighs. "This is just… a lot to take in."

Carmilla's eyes soften. "I know."

"Ugh, both of you are so dramatic." Mattie rolls her eyes. "Clearly this topic of conversation is much too heavy. We may as well take a break. Carmilla, would you mind going out and getting one of those decadent chocolate croissants pour moi?"

Carmilla's eyes narrow and she looks between Laura and Mattie before standing up.

"Alright. I'll be back soon." She gives Mattie a pointed look. "Try to play nice."

"Don't I always?" Mattie sighs. Laura quickly looks towards Carmilla as she starts to head out.

"Wait." Laura starts. Carmilla pauses at the door, but doesn't look back. "…Be careful."

Carmilla lets out a chuckle, giving a simple wave before leaving the apartment. Laura looks back and Mattie, glaring.

"She shouldn't be out on her own. The people who tried to kill me saw me with her. They might go after her next." Laura explains firmly. Mattie leans back in her chair looking unbothered.

"I'm certain nothing poses a threat to my sister." Mattie waves off Laura's concerns.

"How can you be so sure?" Laura questions.

"Because, I can look at it from an outside point of view, and so can Carmilla. That's why she is isn't concerned, either." Mattie states. "Your relationship is unique in the sense that it's genuine. Most relationships between humans and vampires are simply for snacking. I'm sure whoever thought they killed you figured Carmilla would just move on once you were gone. Snacks are rather disposable, after all."

"Charming." Laura frowns. Mattie raises her eyebrow.

"You don't believe that's all Carmilla views you as, do you?" Mattie inquires.

"Of course not!" Laura scowls.

"Good. You'd be wise to never doubt her." Mattie mutters. "As much as I loathe to admit it, Carmilla does feel very strongly about you. I hope you never underappreciate that."

They sit there for a solid minute, Laura borrowing her glare into Mattie before she speaks.

"Why do you hate me?" Laura interrogates finally. Mattie barks a laugh.

"Whatever do you mean, darling?" Mattie snickers, causing Laura's glare to darken.

"Every time you visit you're always either threatening to kill me or insinuating I don't appreciate Carm enough, or that I'm not good enough for her. I'm tired of it." Laura grumbles.

"What do you want me to do? Apologize for looking after my romantic sap of a sister? You have yet to prove yourself to me, after all. Last time she confided in you, you indirectly got me killed. Again." Mattie scoffs.

"Look. I'm sorry about that, okay? I have spent night after night regretting so many decisions I've made. I'm still learning." Laura mumbles. "But don't think for a second that the mistakes of my past mean I don't care about Carm. She's the one person I'd break all my rules for."

Mattie eyes Laura curiously, tilting her head. "Do you know what kind of magic bounds your heart to that locket?"

"I'd imagine it's something in Latin or Sumerian." Laura rolls her eyes.

"Ah, so she hasn't told you." Mattie smirks, and Laura narrows her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Having a human's life essence bound to a locket is no small feat. It's nothing a simple incantation would suffice for. Tell me, when was the last time you've seen Carmilla turn into a panther?" Mattie asks. Laura's brow furrows.

"I suppose… I haven't at all in the last three years. I just assumed it was because she had no reason to fight." Laura's eyes went wide. "Why, is there another reason?"

"My dear, the only way for the process to work was if your heart was infused with a part of an immortal being. Carmilla, of course, sacrificed a part of her for you. Her beast part." Mattie states. Laura's jaw hangs open.

"I… I had no idea." Laura mutters.

"And just to put this into perspective for you of what this means, since you are quite ignorant to our species despite dating one, a vampire's beast form is useful for two reasons: status and power." Mattie relays. "Now Carmilla has neither. Some vampires are turned and never acquire a beast form due to some fluke. They're considered outcasts among other vampires, and will never be accepted within their circles. Carmilla is now included in this group. I'm the exception since she's my sister, but for the rest, she's ostracized. Second of all, we are most powerful in beast form. In order to gain that much power back, she would have to be as old as I am. Now, she can really only cause damage to humans. But in terms of supernatural beings, she's now a weakling."

"Carm…" Laura whispers, her eyes filling with tears.

"That's another reason I believe Carmilla's not in any danger. You might not be able to tell as a human, but others more enlightened can. They recognize she's no real threat. I hope you now realize what Carmilla has done for you. With no community to turn to and not able to fend for herself very well anymore, she's effectively committed her eternity to you." Mattie clicks her tongue. "And so  _that's_  why I'm so hard on you. Because if I ever find out that Carmilla gave up so much for you only to break her heart, I'll turn you into a throw rug."

"That's… not something you have to worry about." Laura mumbles, looking away at the door.

"Excellent." Mattie sighs.

"But now I know we have to be even more careful about these Crypt people. They might not view Carmilla as a threat now, but I definitely don't want her on their radar like I was." Laura ponders, and Mattie's eyes go wide.

"I'm sorry, did you say Crypt?" Mattie gawks.

Before Laura can answer, the door swings open revealing Carmilla and a small paper bag.

"Alright, one order of a chocolate croissant from down the street- oof!"

Once again Carmilla is practically tackled by Laura, her arms squeezing around her waist and her head buried into her shoulder. Carmilla blinks a couple of times.

"You know, I should probably be expecting this by now." Carmilla sighs as Laura pulls back. "Yes, I'm alive still. Hello."

"Oh, I knew you would be. You're a trooper who can take care of herself." Laura gives Carmilla a light punch on the shoulder, and Carmilla catches the tear running down Laura's cheek.

"What the hell did you guys talk about?" Carmilla questions, but a breeze blows by her and Laura as Mattie slams the door shut.

"Crypt?! You imbeciles have pissed off Crypt?" Mattie hisses, ushering them further into the apartment.

"Wait, you've heard of them?" Laura gapes.

"Indeed." Mattie mutters darkly.

"Well, great! What do you know about them?" Laura inquires, and Mattie sighs.

"Just that you've made a very dangerous enemy." Mattie concedes.

"That's comforting." Carmilla huffs. Laura's face falls, fear taking over her features.

"But you know a way to defeat them, right?" Laura questions, and Mattie shakes her head.

"Look, all I know is that Mother herself was afraid of them. That's not a statement to take lightly." Mattie reveals. Carmilla sinks down on the couch, pulling her fingers through her hair frantically.

"Shit." Carmilla swears, and Laura sits beside her, putting an arm around her.

"Well, it's okay, right? They think I'm dead." Laura reminds everyone, but Mattie's lips press into a thin line.

"You better hope it stays that way. If I were you two, I'd run far away where they can't ever find you." Mattie advises.

Laura's conflicted. She wants to stick with her gut that says she needs to get to the bottom of the truth and stop whatever Danny is fighting against, before something horrible happens. But now she's fighting the enemy of her enemy, which is now their enemy, and that's terrifying. And now knowing that Carmilla isn't at 100%, maybe it isn't feasible to fight back. Maybe she was relying too much on Carmilla to be her trump card this whole time. Maybe this time Laura needs to know when to throw in the towel. Maybe-

"No." Carmilla states firmly. "We're not running."

"Carm?" Laura blinks.

"Don't be a hero." Mattie rolls her eyes.

"I'm not." Carmilla stands up. "I'm being proud. They tried to kill Laura. They made this personal. I'm not going to go after them until I know Laura is safe." She turns to Laura. "All I've wanted to do is live peacefully with you. I can't do that if we're constantly looking over our shoulders for these Crypt people."

"You… stupid vampire." Laura trembles, standing up and yanking Carmilla in for a kiss. Mattie groans, massaging her temples.

"God, I was much fonder of you when you were concerned with preserving yourself more than someone else." Mattie mutters. "Okay, break it up. Let's talk business."

They pull apart, Carmilla with a dreamy look on her face and thinking she has to make dramatic, sappy speeches more often.

"Right. How do we find out more about Crypt?" Laura questions.

"I'm sure you've already discovered they're good at covering their tracks, and doing digging without vigilance could draw unwanted attention, as it already has." Mattie taps her chin. "If only you knew someone who was once a vessel of Mother's and may have retained some knowledge after a rather messy extraction process."

Carmilla and Laura look at each other with grim expressions. It doesn't take much effort to decipher that riddle.

Perry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Catmilla. Hey, love will have its sacrifices, right?


	9. Martha Stewart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more graphic depictions of violence in this one, as well as probably completely incorrect Latin. You've been warned.

**Three Years Prior**

"Is the circle done yet?" Carmilla barked, pacing back and forth among the shelves.

"Not yet. I'm trying to get it perfect. We only have one shot." LaF replied, wiping their brow as they took a moment before slathering more goat blood along the floor. Luckily the Zetas seemed to have a lot of goats on hand.

"Well hurry up. J.P. could be running through that doorway any minute." Carmilla growled.

"Trust me, I know." LaF grumbled, getting back to work. Carmilla turned to Mattie, who was leaning against the wall.

"Are you sure Mother will come?" Carmilla asked.

"She's been very frustrated with the whereabouts of the library. I'm sure as soon as she sees your virtual Frankenstein running across campus, she'll follow." Mattie assured her. "Although she'll probably send the young leech in first, suspecting a trap."

"I'll get her." Carmilla stated, cracking her knuckles.

"H-hey! What can I do to help?" Kirsch cried out from his cot. Carmilla pointed at him.

"You stay out of the way. You're not much help right now, Black Beard." Carmilla snapped. For a moment Kirsch looked offended, and then he thoughtfully stroked his own chin.

"Carmilla, I think it's ready." LaF announced.

"Great. Go sit in the back until this is over." Carmilla ordered.

"Hey. I'm able bodied. I can help. And Perry's my friend. I want to see this through." LaF argued.

"You're a liability right now. We can't have this mess up. Go wait in the back." Carmilla repeated. LaF scowled, but did as they were told. Carmilla continued her frantic pacing.

"Carm." Laura called out meekly.

"Mattie, get me the locket." Carmilla demanded, not hearing Laura immediately.

"Carm…"

"And… and the dagger. We have to be ready. We have-"

"Carm!" Laura shouted, making Carmilla stop in her tracks. She turned towards Laura, who was kneeling in her own small circle drawn of goat's blood and surrounded by candles and other mystical ingredients. She looked on sadly. "Can you just… come sit with me for a second?"

Carmilla sighed, walking over and sitting as close to Laura as she could without ruining the circle. She closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing back her emotions before opening her eyes to look into Laura's.

"How you doing, creampuff?" Carmilla asked. Laura fidgeted slightly.

"I don't know how to answer that. I just kind of feel… numb, which probably isn't good." Laura mumbled. Carmilla reached out, cupping her cheek.

"Hey, you're a real Gryffindor you know that?" Carmilla murmured, and Laura gave a half smile.

"Hufflepuff." She affirmed.

"Whatever you say, Cupcake." Carmilla nodded. "After tonight… this will all be over. Finally."

"I might be over, too." Laura muttered.

"Hey. Don't say that. It'll work." Carmilla stated firmly, but softened quickly. "You sure you want to go through with this? It might be… an adjustment."

Laura looked away, and Carmilla could see her eyes getting glassy. "I don't want to die, Carm."

"I know." Carmilla ran a hand through Laura's hair. "I know."

"Carm… if this all works out… can we… can we try again?" Laura bit her lip. Carmilla studied her slowly.

"Of course." Carmilla whispered. Laura's face twisted, the emotions finally breaking through whatever dam she had built up inside.

"I want you to do it." Laura requested. "I want you to take my heart."

Carmilla paused, eyes wide. "Laura… Mattie would be much more precise than I am."

"I don't care. It has to be you. Please." Laura pleaded, and Carmilla shook her head.

"I don't trust myself-"

" _I_ trust you!" Laura croaked. "You're the only one I'd ever trust with my heart this way. You're the only one. It  _has t_ o be you."

"It would probably be better if I took on the cub instead, darling. They aren't expecting me to help you." Mattie chimed in. Carmilla looked down, taking in as much air in her lungs as she possibly could – an act that doesn't do much for her anyway.

"Okay. Whatever you want." Carmilla nodded.

"Thank you." Laura whimpered, a tear rolling down her cheek. She reached forward, pulling Carmilla close and touching their lips tenderly together. Carmilla's eyes fluttered shut, practically drinking Laura in. Her scent, the feel of her skin, the way Laura's hand tangled in her hair as she deepened the kiss. Carmilla bit down gently on Laura's lower lip, as she usually did, which initiated a gasp riddled with sorrow and longing from Laura. Neither of them wanted the seconds to tick by, leading to what would happen next. They just wanted to stay like this.

"Sorry to interrupt." Mattie crouched beside them, forcing them to pull away. She was holding a dagger and a small, pentagon shaped locket with a black pearl in the middle. "It's time. I sense her approach."

Carmilla bit her own lip and nodded slowly, taking the instruments.

"Okay. Be ready." Carmilla muttered. Mattie simply squeezed Carmilla's shoulder, walking back to the entrance. She looked back at Laura, whose face had hardened with determination.

"This is it." Laura gulped.

"Yeah." Carmilla forced a smirk. "Who knew when I walked in as your roommate, we'd end up here?"

"None of this turned out like I expected." Laura sighed.

"No time for idled chit chat, darlings!" Mattie hissed. Carmilla swallowed hard, reaching out towards Laura's chest, but Laura grabbed her wrist.

"Carmilla." Laura blurted out. "…You know."

"Yeah. I know." Carmilla cooed. "Ready? Three-"

"It has to be now!" Mattie barked. Carmilla growled, frustrated.

"See you on the other side." Carmilla mumbled, refusing to meet Laura's eyes. " _Animam eripi, renascitur iterum_."

It was a blur after thrusting her hand through Laura's chest, feeling the warm squish between her fingers. She watched Laura's mouth hang open, the light starting to leave her eyes.

"Now, darling!" Mattie shouted, having already knocked out Danny. J.P. was slumped against a wall, looking bloody. Carmilla let out a cry, tears streaming down her face as she sliced off a piece of Laura's heart and tossed the rest to Mattie. "The dagger!"

"Just a  _moment_." Carmilla glowered, quickly placing the flesh in the locket and slicing her hand, dripping it over the piece of heart and locket. " _Mea vita tua fit fons. Corpus, hoc remanet in aeternum_."

She tossed the dagger behind her just as the locket slammed shut. It vibrated a moment, and then Carmilla experienced the most excruciating pain of her life as it felt as if her soul was being torn apart.

Someone behind her screamed, mixing with her own.

The last thing Carmilla saw before passing out was the black, smoky figure of a panther leaving her body and being absorbed by the locket. Then she hit the floor.

It must've been only a minute before she gained her bearings again. She felt weak, and could feel the blood dripping from her nose. She crawled slowly to Laura's body, not paying attention to any of the commotion behind her.

"Laura." Carmilla rasped, hovering over her. "Laura. Please. Stay with me. Please stay with me. Don't be dead. Please, don't be dead." She started to sob, not seeing Laura open her eyes.

But wait. Her chest. Through the blood, she could see it moving slightly. She was breathing.

Carmilla reached over, grasping the locket in her hand. She felt it pulse, ever so slightly.

"Laura." Carmilla blubbered, stroking Laura's face. "Laura, we did it. You hear me? We did it. We did it…"

It was now that she became aware of another voice behind her.

"Perry? Perry, what the hell?! What's happened to Perry!?" LaF cried out, having run in from the back.

"There's nothing you can do, dear." Mattie panted, looking exhausted herself, slumped next to Laura's heart pinned to the ground by the dagger. LaF shook slightly, holding Perry in their arms.

Perry's head hung back, looking at Carmilla with lifeless eyes.

* * *

**Present Day**

"I was possessed by the Dean at one time. That doesn't mean I have all her past knowledge." Laura shivers, trying to keep the car steady at the thought.

"Don't remind me. Nothing more awkward than the girl you're into and your bitch of a Mother being the same person." Carmilla groans, resting her hand on her fist as she gazes out the window at the scenery rushing by. "Besides, it's not the same. Mother used the necklace to control you from an outside source. She actually inhabited Rachael Ray for who knows how long. And since we didn't… properly extract her completely…"

"Yeah. That." Laura frowns. "I just really don't want to visit her… LaF specifically doesn't want us visiting her."

"Well we need information and since J.P. is on our side and got us on the guest list, LaF will just have to deal with it." Carmilla sighs.

"I'm going to feel so guilty seeing her, let alone questioning her in her current… state." Laura mumbles.

"You had no idea that one piece of missing heart would screw up the whole ritual. None of us did." Carmilla recalls.

"I know. I just can't help but feel guilty. It's who I am. Always feeling responsible." Laura mutters. "LaF still blames me. That's why they haven't talked to us at all since then."

"To hell with LaF."

"Carmilla!"

"What? They were the ones who decided to hold a grudge and throw away a perfectly good friendship over this." Carmilla argues.

"It's not like I borrowed something and didn't give it back, Carm. Perry's been their friend since they were little." Laura pouts.

"Look, as much as think Amelia Bedelia was a little too uptight, don't you think she would have made this sacrifice to put everything to an end?" Carmilla points out.

"She didn't have a choice. That's the point." Laura bites her lip. Carmilla sighs, reaching over to take Laura's hand.

"Well today we can finally apologize for how we affected her life. It might not mean much, but it's something." Carmilla muses. It's quiet for a moment before Laura releases a giggle. Carmilla raises her eyebrow. "I fail to see the humour."

"No, it's not funny, it's just… I love picturing how past Carmilla would react to how  _nice_  you've become." Laura smirks, and Carmilla groans.

"Present me isn't too fond of it either. I blame you." Carmilla grumbles.

" _That_  is something I will proudly take full credit for." Laura grins, but after a while her mouth falls once again. "It could've been me, you know? She could've jumped into my body after I pushed that big rock on her. I could've been where Perry is now."

"She never would've jumped into your body. She knew my infatuation with you. I would've noticed right away and exorcised her out before she gained full control. The only reason she got away with squatting in Curly Q for so long is because my attention was… elsewhere." Carmilla glances over at Laura. "I suppose I could be blamed for that. Hell, she was LaF's best friend and maybe they would've noticed had they not been so preoccupied with their experimental boyfriend. We could all say we had some hand in what happened to her, but that's wasted energy. The true culprit is my Mother, and you sacrificed yourself to get her out of Perry, who was probably experiencing a lot of suffering. Don't forget that."

"Thanks, Carm." Laura murmurs, squeezing her hand.

"And now she can play her part to help possibly save the world again." Carmilla nods, and Laura grips the steering wheel as she sees the mental institution come into view.

"I just hope she's up for it. That we're not bothering her for nothing."

When they get out of the car, Carmilla surveys the area carefully, a habit she's decided to pick up. When she's satisfied that nobody was watching them or had followed them, they both pull up their hoods and head into the facility.

Casually being in hiding is exhausting.

"Hi. We're here to see Lola Perry?" Laura requests to the grumpy-looking receptionist. She would think the employees here should be a little… sunnier. But who knows? Maybe she was just having a bad day.

"Names." The receptionist drones.

"Laura Hollis and Carmilla Karnstein." Laura gave enthusiastically. Maybe it was silly to give their real names at this point, but Perry had to give some indication that she would accept their company, and they might not get that under different aliases.

"Wait here, please." The receptionist yawns, shutting the window and shuffling off. Laura looks around, trying to keep it together, but her aggressively chewing on her lip and the slight tremble in her hands gave her away.

"Hey, Cupcake. It'll be fine." Carmilla assures her.

"I hope so." Laura sighs. A few minutes later, the receptionist returns with two visitor passes.

"Lola will see you now, but in her room rather than the public lounge area. She doesn't like to… mingle with the other patients." The receptionist rolls her eyes, locking the door. "A nurse will take you there."

"Thank you! Have a great day!" Laura beams, receiving an unimpressed stare from the receptionist in response. Carmilla, however, gave the receptionist a wink, and a rosy colour filled her cheeks for a moment.

"You have an hour, or however long Lola wants to see you. I'll be right outside." The nurse explains.

They enter the room, and the first thing they see is that familiar, curly red hair attached to a woman frantically wiping a window sill.

"Perry?" Laura questions.

"Dust. Dirty, dirty. Must clean. Remove it all. So dirty. Scum." Perry mutters under her breath. Carmilla and Laura glance between each other.

"Hey. Martha Stewart. We came to talk to you." Carmilla calls out. Perry pauses for a moment, then continues to sweep across the window.

"So much scuff. Glare. Can't see. Can't see. Not good. No, no. Can't have that, no." Perry continues. Laura clutches her hands near her chest, looking at her old friend.

"Perry… we're sorry we haven't visited. LaF told us not to and… well, it doesn't matter. We're sorry. About everything." Laura expresses. Perry stops, and turns around. Her eyes are wide, unblinking.

"All clean now. The light can come through. Good light." Perry paces over to them. "Light and dark merges. Beauty in the grey. Must be kept safe. Must be."

"…What?" Laura blinks, looking over at Carmilla.

"Don't look at me, cutie. I have no idea either." Carmilla shrugs. Laura sighs, looking back at Perry.

"Perry, we need help. Something… bad is going on. Again." Laura says slowly. Perry tilts her head, and then she starts shaking.

"No. No, no, no, no, NO! Clean. Must wipe it all away." Perry glides away to a cabinet and pulls out a bottle of some sort of cleaning agent, and starts spraying it on the wall.

"They let a patient keep this many chemicals? Ugh, no wonder it smells like bleach." Carmilla grimaces.

"It's Perry. Obviously it's a coping mechanism or something." Laura observes, walking over to Perry who is now furiously scrubbing the wall. "Hey, Perry, it's okay. We're going to… clean away all the bad. But we need your help."

Perry stops, looking at Laura over her shoulder. She puts the cleaning products down and walks to her bed, sitting down. "Make it all go away. But not all there. Not all there. Nothing to do. Nothing."

"We just want to ask you some questions. Is that okay?" Laura inquires tentatively. Perry looks up at her with an expression that reminded Laura of the night they decided to follow LaF to the Lustig Building.

"It must all be purged." Perry says plainly.

"I… think that's a yes?" Carmilla suggests.

"Um, okay. Great. Uh…" Laura pauses, really hoping Perry doesn't freak out. "Perr, can you recall anything about something called Crypt?"

Perry's eyes close for a moment. She takes a deep breath.

"Dark shepherds. They grow weary. They grow hazardous. Treachery abound." Perry breathes.

"…You know, I'm getting really tired of each sentence coming out like a Sudoku puzzle." Carmilla miffs.

"Shh!" Laura warns, kneeling down by Perry. "What are they a hazard to?"

"Those that walk outside the shadows. The shadow is to overtake the light. Not good. Must be stopped." Perry rambles.

"Okay, what the flipping hell." Carmilla groans.

"No, I think I get it." Laura nods. "They want to get rid of humans, is that what you're saying?"

"They want to break from the coil that bounds them to the cycle. Life and death. No order. The shadow will reign." Perry looks at Carmilla. "Those that feed from life will not escape the threat."

Carmilla's eyes widen. "If Crypt destroys humanity, vampires will lose their food source. We'll waste away. That's why Mother was so afraid of them."

"Must counteract." Perry nods. "Must clean away."

"Perry, how do we do that? How do we… clean them?" Laura asks. Perry stares at them for a moment, and then she breaks into an abnormally large smile.

And then she bursts into laughter. Loud, hysterical laughter.

"Well, this took a turn." Carmilla flinches.

"What's wrong with her? Perry?!" Laura reaches out for her, but the nurse bursts the door open.

"Sorry, you two will have to go." She says sternly.

"But," Laura looks over at Perry, who has doubled over and clutching her stomach from being overcome with her cackles.

" _Now_." The nurse orders.

"Come on, creampuff." Carmilla shuffles Laura out. Laura gives one more sad glance behind her before the Perry's strained voice is cut off by the door slamming shut.

* * *

"Well, at least now you know that if journalism doesn't work out, you can start a career as a comedian." Carmilla gibes, ushering Laura into the apartment.

"That's not funny." Laura frowns.

"You would know. You're the comedian." Carmilla shrugs. Laura rolls her eyes, dropping on the couch with frustration.

"So, what did we learn before Perry lost her cool?" Laura asks.

"That little orphan Annie still has a fixation on cleaning, Mother certainly did a number on her mind, and something is trying to wipe out humanity." Carmilla lists off. "And, consequently, my species."

"And we still have no idea what that something is." Laura's hands flap in the air, and she sinks down further into the couch. "So basically, we're still stuck at square one."

Carmilla puts an arm around Laura gently, pulling her close. "Well, let's brainstorm. Why do you think this something is running around stealing limbs and blowing people up into neon goo?"

"I… I don't know. Perry said something about them trying to break from the cycle, or something." Laura mutters, clutching her head. "Augh, I don't know! It could be anything!"

"Careful, cutie. You're still injured." Carmilla cautions.

"Well, actually, not really. It's been a few days." Without hesitating, Laura yanks her shirt off. "I don't even need the bandages anymore. Look."

Carmilla certainly looks. And then she's hit in the head with a throw pillow.

"Perv. You have a bit of drool in the corner of your mouth." Laura giggles.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Not much I can do to help where my mind wanders off to when you invite me to look at your chest." Carmilla sighs, letting her finger run along Laura's skin just above her bra, right around where there are two red marks where her bullet wounds used to be. They probably won't even scar, unlike a certain other area of Laura's chest. Carmilla slides her finger to that spot over where Laura's heart used to be, where the skin has scarred into a ridged diamond shape – the spot Carmilla had reached her hand into her chest.

Laura shivers under her touch.

"I… guess I can't blame you. It's been a while." Laura murmurs, letting Carmilla kiss along her jaw.

"Mmm. Not since before you got shot." Carmilla recalls, trailing the kisses down Laura's neck. Laura's eyes flutter shut and she lets out a soft sigh.

"So… like a week… wow." Laura breathes.

"We can rectify that." Carmilla sucks on a sensitive part of Laura's skin, imagining biting down – though she'd never do so without Laura asking her first. Well, not since she used Laura as a juice box at Silas.

"I do have a lot to get off my mind." Laura groans, her fingers digging into Carmilla's shoulders.

"I can certainly come up with some… distractions." Carmilla's hands trail up Laura's sides, dancing over her ribs. Laura lets out a grunt of frustration and pushes back just to release her skin from her bra. Carmilla stops, blinking for a moment and taking her in because damn, it never gets old.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" Laura huffs, and Carmilla grins, picking Laura up and somehow manages to kiss her and walk to the bedroom at the same time.

Several hot, sweaty, and exhausting moments later, Carmilla and Laura are sprawled out on the bed together. Laura has her head on Carmilla's chest near the locket, and she listens to her own heartbeat. It's fast, and all for Carmilla.

Carmilla leaves a soft kiss on Laura's head, and Laura looks up at her. Her face is the picture of being completely content. Eyes closed and a soft, peaceful smile. She's also the picture of beauty.

"Hey." Laura whispers. Carmilla's eyes open and she looks back down at Laura, seeing her bright eyes staring back. Carmilla will never understand how she possibly gained enough favour with any deity to deserve the woman in her arms right now, but she thanks her lucky stars every day that Laura was placed in her life.

"Hey." Carmilla coos. Laura reaches up, brushing one of Carmilla's bangs to the side. "Feeling better?"

"You make a very good distraction." Laura mumbles, leaving a couple kisses on Carmilla's chest. Carmilla purrs, her eyes closing again.

"It's what I'm here for, cutie." Carmilla sighs, pulling Laura close.

"I wish we could always be like this." Laura breathes.

"Mmm."

Laura bites her lip, knowing she's about to ruin it by talking about  _feelings_.

"I've noticed we've been arguing a lot lately. I don't want to argue with you." Laura mutters, and once again Carmilla's eyes pop open.

"Laura, we've both been under a bit of stress lately." Carmilla reasons.

"Yeah, but, I want us to be able to work things through civilly even when we're stressed. We work great when we're relaxed and just living a day-to-day normal life. But I want us to be able to cope with stress together better than we did last time. Last time we ended up breaking up. I really,  _really_  never want that to happen again." Laura explains.

"I'm trying." Carmilla states, and Laura nods.

"No, I know. It's partly my fault, too. I've had a short fuse. I'm sorry." Laura explains. "But… I still feel like part of our problem is, you know, not having open lines of communication."

Carmilla leans up a little bit. "We've already had this discussion. I thought we were good in that department."

"We're a lot better, totally. I've gotten better at listening, and you've gotten better at expressing yourself. But…" Laura chews on her lip. "I… I know about your panther. What you had to do."

Carmilla falls silent, and Laura swears she can hear her heart pounding inside the locket.

"I knew it. Mattie told you." Carmilla finally grumbles.

"Yes. And I'm glad she did. I had no idea to what degree what you gave up to keep me alive. I just wish you had told me." Laura expresses sadly. Carmilla sits up quickly, and for a moment Laura is afraid they're about to start one of the arguments she had been dreading.

"Maybe I didn't bring it up because it wasn't a big deal. When Mattie told me I would have to give up my panther, I didn't even bat an eye. It seemed like a small price for a chance that you'd stay alive." Carmilla turns her head, a pop resonating from a stiff muscle. Laura places a hand gently on Carmilla's shoulder.

"Of course it was a big deal. You lost a lot of your strength, and Mattie told me you're going to be looked down on by other vampires now…" Laura mumbles.

"You really think I care about other vampires?" Carmilla scoffs. "I already told you. I'd much rather hang out on the human side of the spectrum. Mattie is really the only other vampire company I need. My place is with you. To hell with those elitist bloodsuckers with an affinity for a glorified petting zoo." Carmilla growls. "As for the power, yeah, I miss that. But I didn't think I'd need it again."

"And now you do, and it's my fault." Laura frowns. "Now you're so much more vulnerable-"

"Hey, you don't have to worry about me." Carmilla cups Laura's cheek. "Just because I'm lacking some bigger teeth and claws doesn't mean I don't know how to fight. I'll kick any shithead that gets in our way right in the face. Panther or not. Promise."

Laura thinks for a moment, her hand absentmindedly travelling along Carmilla's waist.

"If it wasn't such a big deal, why did you go out of your way to keep it from me? I've made tons of references to your giant black cat form. You could've told me every time, but you didn't. I had to hear it from Mattie. Why?" Laura questions softly. Carmilla bows her head, her teeth grinding while she thinks.

"I didn't want to give you an excuse to regret being alive." Carmilla admits in a small voice. "I didn't want you to have a reason to resent me for it."

"Carm, how could you think I'd ever resent you?" Laura's brow furrows in confusion. Carmilla shrugs, looking away. "See, you need to stop this. You not telling me about you panther, about Mattie coming to visit, about the Dean's apartment, about her possessing me and taking Kirsch… this has been a reoccurring thing. It needs to stop."

"You said it yourself. Last time we were under stress, we ended up breaking up. I don't want to have to handle that. Not again." Carmilla mutters. "I just, I figured the longer I can avoid conflict, the longer this will last."

"Carmilla, damnit, never feel like you can't  _tell_  me things. I'm not going anywhere. I swear." Laura promises. "You ripped a guy's throat out the other day and I'm still here. Obviously I had to do some adjusting to dating a vampire, but it's just part of working to make us click. So, please, never feel afraid to confide in me. About anything. I can take whatever you've got."

"I know. You're strong… for a human." Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"An  _invincible_  human." Laura points out with a laugh. Carmilla smirks, pulling her in.

"I'll work on it." Carmilla purrs, kissing Laura softly.

"Good." Laura mumbles against her lips. "So, anything interesting to tell me?"

Carmilla waits for a moment, thinking.

"In the 1970's I took in a stray cat that I named Fluffybuns." Carmilla states. Laura's mouth pops open.

"No, you did not." Laura accuses.

"Mhm. I did. I loved that cat. And now I'm certain I've lost all my badass points. Still love me?" Carmilla smirks.

"Screw you." Laura shoves Carmilla lightly. "I'm supposed to be the adorable one of this relationship. How dare you take that away from me?"

"I suppose you'll just have to pick up my slack." Carmilla tease. Laura gets a devilish look in her eye, and throws one leg over Carmilla.

"How's this?" Laura purrs, dipping down to press against Carmilla and give her a dip kiss.

"Mmm. S'great." Carmilla moans into Laura's mouth. Laura pulls back, just for a second.

"And yes, I still love you." She grins, dipping back down to continue into what they're certain will be more hot and sweaty moments…

And then there's a knock at the door.

"God damnit." Carmilla flops down. "We were doing so well."

"I'll get rid of them, whoever they are." Laura assures her, giving her a peck on the lips. She leaps off the bed and pulls on an extra-large t-shirt that might as well be a dress.

"Hurry back." Carmilla calls out with a sultry tinge to her voice. Laura blushes, rushing to the door rehearsing the 'sorry, not right now, can you come back later?' in her head.

At least, until she opens the door and sees the person standing there with their hair matching the red hue of their face. Laura gapes at their furious expression.

"Laura Hollis. I have a bone to pick with you." LaFontaine glowers. "Why the hell did you go see Perry!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their most dangerous challenge yet - angry LaFontaine.


	10. Mad Scientist

"Wait, what?" Laura blinks rapidly, stepping aside as LaF storms into the apartment.

"Don't play coy with me, Laura." LaF grumbles. "I know for a fact you and your… hypoglycemic girlfriend visited Perry today."

"How did you know?" Laura gapes. Had J.P. told them?

"I got a call from the facility. I'm Perry's emergency contact. Her parents wanted nothing to do with her after her mind got damaged. Not that you would know." LaF's eyes narrow. "I went right away to calm her down from a 'hysterical episode'. When I asked what happened, do you know what she said? She said 'the seeker of many answers and the one whose darkness envelops all around her'. Plus some references to cleaning. It wasn't a far stretch to figure out who she meant."

"Look, yes, we visited her, but-" Laura starts.

"How dare you?" LaF accuses. "I specifically asked you never to visit her. After what you two did to her. And look what happened!"

"LaFontaine, I'm sorry, but-" Laura tries to continue.

"Don't apologize." Carmilla states from the doorway of their bedroom. Both their eyes follow the sound of the voice to see Carmilla standing there with only a silk robe on – a robe that isn't tied up at all.

"Carmilla!" Laura gasps, rushing over to her with pink cheeks. LaF looks away, face redder than before as Laura ties the robe to cover Carmilla up. Carmilla just smirks, seemingly unbothered.

"I guess I interrupted something. Like old times, huh?" LaF mumbles. "Maybe you wouldn't get interrupted so much if you'd just chill with the kissing and sex for at least two seconds."

"Well aren't you a genuine  _mad_  scientist these days." Carmilla snorts, strutting towards them. "You should leave before I get angry."

LaF puffs out their chest. "What are you going to do?  _Suck my blood_?" They challenge with a faux Transylvanian accent. Carmilla's eyes darken and she steps closer.

"Don't test me. I am feeling rather peckish." Carmilla growls.

"Oookay!" Laura quickly steps between them. "Everybody just… calm down."

"I'm calm. They're the one who barged in spouting accusations." Carmilla scoffs.

"Well I was right, wasn't I? You did something to upset Perry today. I think my anger is justified." LaF argues.

"We didn't mean to. We just dropped by for a visit." Laura explains coolly.

"Why? Why now?" LaF interrogates. Laura says nothing, biting her lip.

"Because maybe we were sick of the little boundaries you placed around Perry yourself like some sort of gatekeeper." Carmilla glowers. "Perry's our friend, too. We had every right to visit her."

"Your  _friend_?" LaF wheels around to snap at Carmilla. "Well that's the biggest lie I've ever heard out of your mouth, and that's saying a lot."

Carmilla grits her teeth. "I'm warning you…"

"You never cared about Perry or me or anyone except Laura, and that was made abundantly clear by that chain around your neck." LaF glares.

"That's not fair." Laura jumps in.

"No, what's not fair is that Perry is stuck in her own personal hell with no escape for who knows how long. I have a full-time job in a lab, but every speck of free-time I have I spend it trying to find a way to restore Perr's mind. What have you two done to help her?" LaF spits.

"You shut us out!" Laura shouts, finally reaching her breaking point. "We couldn't do anything for her because we basically stopped existing to you!"

"So, what, you decide to get back at me by torturing Perry today?" LaF grumbles. Carmilla approaches them menacingly.

"Trust me, if we wanted to get back at you, we wouldn't go after your friend who already received the short end of the stick." Carmilla sneers.

"And who gave her that short end? Huh?" LaF glares. Carmilla lets out an exasperated sigh.

"My Mother! My Mother did!" Carmilla exclaims. "I said this to Laura earlier and I'm repeating it now: my Mother was and will always be the cause of all our struggles during that time. Any unfortunate incidents due to decisions by anyone else was just collateral of her fucked up agenda."

"You can't just clear your conscience that easily. Perry should've been fine and the Dean should've died no problem, but you two had to go and make the heart less potent by literally cutting a section of it away. Perry would've been fine-" LaF argues.

"None of us knew what would happen, LaF! It was a shot in the dark, and nobody truly knew the risks of the ritual, but I'm sorry for once in my life I decided to be a bit selfish – that I didn't want to die!" Laura asserts.

"Not to mention that you were in on the whole plan. It's not like you tried to stop it, either. But no, you find it easier to just blame us instead of facing the fact that you couldn't save the mind of your best friend." Carmilla accuses. LaF lets out a yell, throwing a fist forward towards Carmilla. She easily sidesteps them and in a blur, twists LaF's arm painfully behind themselves and holds them in place. "You know, I didn't exactly dislike you. You were the one with guts and common sense. Now I see you lack one of those attributes."

"Carmilla! Let them go!" Laura orders. Carmilla hesitates for a moment, sighing before releasing LaF who spins away, looking more pissed off than ever. Laura, however, has regained her soft composure. "Would you rather I had died that day instead?" She asks sincerely.

LaF clenches their fists, but they say nothing. Laura lets out a sigh.

"Because if you do, then I'll accept that. But in that case, you also have  _no right_  to berate us for what happened to Perry. At least not to this degree." Laura mutters. Carmilla leans against the kitchen island, her brow furrowed.

"The funny thing is that I understand where you're coming from. Had it been Laura in Perry's position, I'd hold a grudge as well." Carmilla admits, looking up at LaF with stern eyes. "If you tell me, had the roles been reversed, that you wouldn't have done everything you could to keep Perry alive… well, then you're an even bigger liar than I am."

Something seems to crack in LaF's resolve at that point, their face twisting and lip trembling. Then they sink to their knees.

"I'm sorry. I-" LaF croaks. "Of course I don't want you dead. I just… I wish things had turned out differently. I want my best friend back."

Laura kneels beside them, sympathy etched in her features. "I know. Believe me, I know. I wish I could get some things back, too."

"Yeah. I saw you after your father-" LaF stops and sees the Laura swallow hard, her face paling. LaF covered their face with their hands. "Oh, god. I'm an asshat. I'm sorry."

"Well, yeah. But it's not like we ever got to talk this out. You've been holding onto this for three years." Laura sighs, rubbing their back. A few silent tears run down their cheeks, and Laura turns to Carmilla. "Carm, sweetie, could you make a pot of tea for LaF?"

"We're really going to rekindle this friendship?" Carmilla groans. Laura sends her a glare in response. "Ugh,  _fine_."

Carmilla starts to boil some water as Laura gathers LaF up, leading them to the couch. They sit there for a while, Laura cross-legged as she watches LaF, who seems to be deep in thought. Eventually their eyes dart over to Laura, and then dart back.

"Laura… did you know you're going commando?" LaF points out plainly.

"What?" Laura looks down, and a flush fills her features at seeing her large t-shirt had ridden up quite a bit in this position. "Oh god!" Laura tugs the shirt down, "Uh, I just… I'll be right back."

Laura sprints into the bedroom to the sound of Carmilla chuckling, who carries over a cup of tea and places it on the coffee table in front of LaF.

"Consider yourself lucky, chief. You just saw one of the most remarkable wonders to ever grace anyone's eyesight." Carmilla smirks.

They both hear an embarrassed "Carmilla!" from the bedroom.

"How is it that I've seen more of both of you today than I ever did during our time of friendship?" LaF utters.

"Even after all those times I undressed to drive the Cupcake crazy while we were living at my Mother's?" Carmilla cocks an eyebrow. LaF manages to smile.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't  _try_  to sneak a glance, but Perry would always block my view." Their face falls. "Or the Dean. Or whoever she was in that given moment."

Laura re-enters still wearing the t-shirt, but it could be assumed she was at least wearing shorts underneath now.

"Sorry about that." Laura mumbles, face still flushed.

"It's fine. It helped break the tension a little." LaF sighs.

"Well… glad I could, uh, help." Laura walks to the recliner where Carmilla is sitting now, and Carmilla immediately pulls her onto her lap. LaF gingerly sips at their tea on the couch.

"How's the tea?" Laura asks softly.

"Good. You brew a pot as good as J.P." LaF states.

"I did spend some time in England through the years." Carmilla shrugs, wrapping her arms around Laura's waist and pulling her as close as possible. LaF nods, and silence falls over the room again. They all shuffle awkwardly a bit before Carmilla speaks again. "I guess it's still pretty tense in here. I suppose you'll just have to flash the room again, creampuff."

"Oh, shut up." Laura reaches behind her to lightly slap Carmilla on the shoulder.

"That won't be necessary." LaF blushes. "We can just talk about the elephant in the room. Why did you visit Perry?"

"Um, well, we told you. She's our friend. A visit was well overdue." Laura fumbles, tensing up.

"It's more than that. J.P. has been acting more frantic than usual lately, and I know you're still in contact with him. So what gives? I know you. I know you had a greater reason to visit Perry now of all times." LaF questions. Laura lets out a sigh, absent-mindedly drawing patterns on Carmilla's arms with her fingers.

"Okay. There's… something going on, and we don't have many answers yet. We found out the Dean knew something about it, so we visited Perry to see if she had retained any of that knowledge." Laura admits. LaF leans up slightly.

"Whatever it is, count me in." They declare, but Laura shakes her head.

"No. I can't have you get involved. Whatever this is, it's huge. Like on a humanity scale. It wouldn't be right to drag you into this after last time. You deserve a peaceful life now. We only went to Perry because we're desperate." Laura mutters.

"Laur, I know I haven't been acting like it lately, but I am part of your team. I can help. You need your bio-major. Take it as me making up for being a…" LaF trails off.

"An asshat, I believe was your wording." Carmilla adds.

"Yeah. That." LaF sighs. "Please, let me do this."

Laura chews on her lip, thinking.

"It  _is_  their choice to get involved, cutie." Carmilla murmurs. "I might not be their number one fan right now-"

"I'm right here." LaF flushes.

"-but they could be pretty useful." Carmilla finishes. Laura releases a breath, conceding.

"Okay. I hope you won't regret this." Laura expresses.

"Oh, probably." LaF shrugs, downing the rest of their tea. "Now tell me everything."

* * *

"Well, this is rather drab." Mattie scoffs, shifting uncomfortably in her seat of the shady café.

"We used to go to this other nicer place but that area of town was kind of ruined for me. Forever." Laura shudders. "Besides, we're here to discuss shady business. We had to get the atmosphere right."

"Oh, how I long for the darling art deco and Mayan inspired chez of Guatemala. Nothing quite perks up these dead taste buds like Latin American food… and Latin American blood." Mattie reminisces.

"It was your choice you left." Carmilla shrugs.

"I thought I was coming here to discuss your heartless buttertart. I wasn't expecting to be dragged into whatever business you two have dug up this time – and finding myself waiting to have some sort pow-wow with your… posse." Mattie drawls.

"I know it's annoying, but as I told you, from what we gathered from Mr. Clean's long lost daughter, this affects you too." Carmilla sighs.

Just then, LaF and J.P. enter the café, looking a little dishevelled.

"Sorry we're late. On our way here someone took a bit of an interest in J.P." LaF huffs.

"She was rather, um, upfront about it." J.P. fidgets with his collar.

"She liked his accent." LaF adds. "Nice neighbourhood choice, Laur."

"That's what I'm saying." Mattie pouts, resting her cheek on her fist.

"Look, I'm sorry about the décor, but I'm kind of in hiding right now, remember?" Laura argues, then shakes her head. "Alright. So. Thank you all for coming today. I figured it would be best to get the gang together again and talk this out like old times."

"Except we're missing some members. Like Kirsch, and Danny… and Perry." LaF frowns.

"We'll just have to make do." Laura sighs. "So, what do we know?"

"We're all doomed." Carmilla states plainly.

"Correct!" Laura exclaims. "So, suggestions to make everything far less doomy would be appreciated."

"Um, sorry, I don't mean to overstep but… perhaps we might be able to plan better if we knew who we were dealing with." J.P. speaks up meekly.

"I agree!" Laura beams, keeping up her guise of enthusiasm. "So far, all we know is Crypt is the name of their… organization, or whatever. It's not much to go on, but it's a start."

"Oh! Well, I could certainly look into it. I mean, we have a rather large database where I work. Nothing like, uh, Lolita Morgan's collection, mind you, but I can try." J.P. perks up a bit more.

"Faaantastic!" Laura grins.

"Give me some samples of that glowing blood, I can analyze it. That might help." LaF offers.

"Also fantastic! This is good. This is good headway." Laura's grin starts to rival Chesire Cat.

"Careful, Cupcake. Your face might get stuck that way." Carmilla smirks, and Laura deflates a bit.

"I'm just trying to be positive. I know it looks bleak but we can at least go into it with a positive attitude." Laura pouts.

"I could use a mug of B+ right now." Mattie sighs. Laura's smile suddenly stretches tight.

"And Mattie… what are you going to contribute?" Laura inquires.

"I'm sorry, I can't possibly come up with any hair brained schemes with that living doll staring at me." Mattie glares across the table to J.P., who shrinks visibly.

"Oh dear, my apologies madam, it's just that you're still quite… terrifying." J.P. mumbles. Mattie drags her tongue along her teeth.

"Good." Mattie glowers.

"Hey, leave him alone. May I remind you that he once outran your Mother?" LaF argues.

"My calves still hurt on rainy days." J.P. adds.

"Oh, please. My Mother was inhabiting a human at the time. It's hardly impressive." Mattie rolls her eyes. "Unless that shrew of yours was some sort of Usain Bolt, I wouldn't applaud anyone just yet."

"Don't talk that way about Perry." LaF glares. Mattie leans forward, looking LaF over.

"How is the poor dear doing these days, anyway? Is her mind still frail? I wouldn't be surprised, as Mother would only be able to take over a  _weak_  mind in the first place." Mattie croons.

"Mattie." Carmilla warns, but LaF is already standing.

"You think you're so tough and above all of us because you're some big bad vampire, but you forget that a human was the one who killed you." LaF snaps.

"Shut up! Both of you!" Laura shouts, gaining the attention of the table. She has a dark expression. "I know we don't all like each other very much. Fine. I don't care. But how about we wait until after the apocalypse to go at each other's throats? We all want the same thing. To stop Crypt – the dark shepherds or whatever Perry called them. Until then, can we just  _focus_?"

Carmilla reaches over, squeezing Laura's thigh. Laura seems to hold back some tears, and gives her a grateful expression. LaF slowly sinks back down to their seat, and J.P.'s eyes dart between everyone anxiously. Mattie, on the other hand, tilts her head curiously.

"Did you say dark shepherds?" She questions. Laura blinks.

"Yeah. That's what Perry said. I think. Most of it was just gibberish." Laura recalls. Mattie's brow furrows.

"Interesting." Mattie says slowly. "I know who we're dealing with now, but it doesn't make much sense."

"What? Who?" Laura goads.

"Dark Shepherds is a rough translation of a very old name – one that only my Mother would know, and has used before. That's why I recognize it." Mattie explains. "They're more commonly known as Reapers."

"Wait, like, as in the grim reaper?" Laura gapes.

"Precisely." Mattie nods. "Although unlike the stories of your people, there is more of a society of them than just one hooded figure with a scythe. A lot of people die, after all. It's much too cumbersome a task for just one being."

"So they do what the stories imply? Ferry the dead to wherever?" LaF questions.

"In a sense." Mattie replies. "They remove the souls from this mortal coil and transfer them somewhere else. Whether that place be heaven or hades, nobody knows. It is important work, however, as lost souls can certainly cause an influx in our reality if not removed. It's a very honourable undertaking, which is why I am puzzled as to why their goal is to wipe out humanity. That would certainly be a lot of work for them to do at once."

"Alright. Great. What do we do with this information?" Carmilla sighs.

"Well… we could always find and ask them?" Laura suggests.

"Need I remind you that they've already tried to kill you once. I don't think they're interested in talking." Carmilla points out.

"Not to mention they're incredibly hard to find. They're usually distinguishable by their white hair and violet eyes, however. Nothing like the robed skeletal figure they're usually-" Mattie starts, but is cut off by Laura.

"What?" Laura gawks. "White hair and violet eyes?"

"What is it, creampuff?" Carmilla asks, concerned.

"I've… I've seen two of them. One when we were questioning the police officer and one… when I was in line at the bank the day I got shot! There was one behind me! Oh my god, that's how the batwing bracelet got in my purse!" Laura covers her face. "I didn't think anything of it because, like, albino people exist, right? I'm such an idiot."

"Hey, you couldn't have known." Carmilla murmurs.

"You've really seen two of them? Fascinating." Mattie leans back in her chair. "Usually they can only be seen by other supernatural beings or by humans close to death. Otherwise they're only seen when they want to be seen."

"Well, Laura doesn't have a heart, so… technically she's always close to death, on a mortal level." LaF theorizes. Mattie chuckles.

"My, you must be giving them a run for their money." Mattie laughs, standing up. "You wanted to know my contribution? Here it is: I'm going to contact my vampire acquaintances. I'm sure they won't be thrilled that the Reapers are trying to snuff out our food source. I might be able to build up a small resistance."

"And I can still look into them. See what I can find, I mean. There must be records of them through history. Maybe I can find out why they're doing this, or a weak spot." J.P. chimes in.

"Well, great!" Laura exclaims. "We have a plan. Awesome."

"Awesome indeed." Mattie agrees. "Now it's time for me to leave this septic tank, thank god. We'll keep in touch. In the meantime… continue to stay low. These are people who can steal souls, after all."

"Okay. And you know, thanks." Laura mutters as Mattie walks by out the door.

"So…" LaF looks between everyone. "Who wants to also leave? Because I do."

* * *

"You know, now that we're out of the shady area, you look like the most suspicious one here with your hood up." LaF comments, looking at Laura with her head mostly covered. Laura lets out a huff.

"I told you, I-"

"You're hiding from a bunch of beings trying to steal your soul. I know." LaF sighs.

"It's interesting, actually. You'd think, them being Reapers and all, they'd know Laura didn't die based on the fact that there was no soul to collect." Carmilla muses.

"Well, it's always in the realm of possibility that Miss. Hollis doesn't actually have a soul anymore, so there was nothing to collect either way." J.P. states, and Laura's jaw drops open.

"I have a soul!" She fumes.

"Oh, yes of course. I didn't mean – I'm sorry. It was just a theory. Terribly sorry." J.P. fumbles, flustered. Laura shakes her head.

"Can we just go home? I want to take a nice long bath, thanks." Laura sighs.

"A bath sounds nice. Can I join?" Carmilla smirks.

"Well, you  _have_  been pretty good today." Laura teases.

"Are you two aware of how gross you're being or…?" LaF questions.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you through all the kissing and sex we apparently can't take a break from." Carmilla jabs, not taking her eyes off Laura.

"Okay. I deserve that." LaF mutters.

Laura suddenly stops, grabbing Carmilla's arms.

"Carm." Laura hisses. "Look."

Carmilla follows Laura's eyesight through the crowd when she sees what Laura caught notice of. "Oh. Shit." Carmilla stares.

"What? What is it?" LaF tries to see what they're all looking at, but to no avail.

"Um, we seem to have located one of those Dark Shepherds." J.P. observes the being himself as it weaves in and out of the crowd towards the mall. Laura starts to jet forward, but Carmilla holds her back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Carmilla glowers.

"I'm going to get answers!" Laura exclaims trying to push forward, but Carmilla's grip is too strong.

"No way. For whatever reason they still believe you're dead, you have to keep it that way." Carmilla orders. "I'll go."

"But, Carm, what if you're not strong enough?" Laura questions, concerned.

"Please. These things are supposed to be escorts of the dead. Not really the fighting type. I'll just see if I can maybe corner them and ask a few questions. That's all." Carmilla assures her.

"Okay. Please be careful." Laura sighs, hugging her.

"Always am." Carmilla squeezes her back, and looks to J.P. "Look after her."

"I'll do my best." J.P. nods.

With a peck on Laura's forehead, Carmilla rushes off after the white-haired creature.

For all she knows, it could actually be an albino person this time, but it's worth checking. Nobody wants this all over with already more than Carmilla.

She pushes into the mall, still keeping an eye on the Reaper. It's easy enough. That white hair really sticks out. Carmilla's sure other people would be turning their heads had the Reaper wanted to be seen, or if they were close to death.

Just as the thought crosses her mind, people start taking notice of the Reaper around them, commenting on their hair and eyes.

"That's not a good sign." Carmilla mutters under her breath. A sort of crowd gathers as they try to look at the marvel, and Carmilla loses sight of them for a moment. She pushes through the people who seem just as confused as she is, and when she breaks through she finds herself by the fountain in the mall.

The Reaper is nowhere to be found.

"Damnit." Carmilla curses, looking around frantically. It's a big mall – four stories of countless boutiques. The Reaper could be anywhere. Besides it was extremely worrying that the humans around her started randomly taking notice. Maybe it's time she got back to Laura…

Before she can barely move, a blinding flash envelops her.

Outside, Laura and LaF are pushed to the ground by J.P. as the mall slightly concaves on itself, the windows and doors shattering across the entire structure when the gigantic flash erupts from it.

Laura's head pounds and her ears are ringing. It takes a moment before she realises J.P. is talking to her.

"Miss. Hollis. Are you okay?" J.P. shouts over the chaos taking place around them. People are running in all directions, screaming and crying. Laura slowly looks up at the ruined building, dread creating a heavy pit in her stomach.

"Carmilla's in there!" Laura yells, pushing away from J.P. and stumbling to get up, sprinting towards the mall.

"Miss. Hollis! You can't go in there! It's dangerous!" J.P. calls after her, but she's not listening. Everything in her is screaming Carmilla, Carmilla,  _Carmilla_.

She feels sick when her fears are confirmed bursting through the glassless doors and seeing the innards of the building covered in the glowing blood. Choking back tears she pushes forward, trying to ignore the feeling of the liquid substance sloshing beneath her feet.

Had Carmilla really been caught in the blast? Were one of these puddles Laura was running by right now… her?

Laura couldn't stomach the thought.

She was still alive, so that means the locket wasn't destroyed. Maybe that means Carmilla got out.

Or maybe she'd find the locket in a glowing puddle, right next to a leather jacket.

_It can't be true. Don't let it be true._

To her overwhelming relief, she sees the all-too familiar figure standing by the fountain, unmoving.

"Carm! Oh my god, Carm!" Laura cries, sprinting towards her. Carmilla slowly turns around, wide-eyed and clearly clutching the locket to her chest. Laura throws her arms around her, and they both sink to the ground as Laura buries her head in Carmilla's chest.

"Laura…" Carmilla breathes.

"I thought I lost you." Laura sniffles, clutching at Carmilla's jacket.

"Yeah. Me too." Carmilla admits, letting out a shuddered breath. "I… I don't know how I survived."

"I don't know either but I don't care. You're alive. That's what matters." Laura murmurs, echoing something similar Carmilla had said to her.

"She's alive because she's not human." A voice reaches down to them. Laura and Carmilla pull apart just enough to look up and see a woman with long, red hair standing on the railing of the floor above. "The blast is meant to take out only humans. Not anything supernatural."

They watch as the woman flips down to the level, landing gingerly nearby them.

"Hey, fangface." She smirks, and Carmilla smirks back.

"Isn't that nickname a little ironic now, Xena?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmhmm.


	11. Xena

"Danny?" Laura stands up, still shaky from her earlier fit of terror. Danny smiles kindly.

"Hey Hollis. You look a lot more alive than the last time I saw you." Danny nods. Laura takes a step forward, but Carmilla jumps up and puts an arm in front of her.

"Keep your distance." Carmilla warns. Danny's eyes flash dangerously for a moment.

"Being a little overprotective there, aren't you?" Danny jeers.

"Maybe I'm protecting you from her. She has punched a vampire in the throat without hesitating before, after all." Carmilla chuckles. "In any case, I'd rather avoid the commotion that would take place as soon as you lose all your control and go for her throat."

"I wouldn't hurt her. I haven't killed a single human in the past three years. Can you say the same?" Danny challenges, and Carmilla scowls.

"Stop trying to act all noble. You're just a newborn monster without a leash with Mother gone. It's only a matter of time before you snap." Carmilla glowers.

"You act as if having the leash gone is a negative thing. Without it, I'm  _free_." Danny interjects.

"And without the control of your loyalty to a sire!" Carmilla growls.

"I never had any willing loyalty to that woman." Danny mutters darkly.

"None of us did." Carmilla replies, causing Danny to release a sharp laugh.

"That's rich, coming from someone who still refers to her as  _Mother_." Danny seethes. Carmilla takes an aggressive step forward.

"Hey, if you guys could not kill each other, that'd be great. I'm still kind of happy that both of you are even alive at all at the moment, so I'd really appreciate you not going all epic vampire battle right now. Thanks." Laura sputters out.

"Well I can tell her animal is gone so it wouldn't be much of a fight anyway." Danny states.

"Not helping!" Laura berates.

"I still have centuries on you, fledgling. I could mop the floor with you like this whether you were in your animal form or not." Carmilla snaps.

"We'll see." Danny crosses her arms.

"Can you  _not_? We're surrounded by puddles of dead bodies right now! People who had friends, families, hopes and dreams – and they're dead now because some organization decided to for  _whatever_  reason cause an Armageddon so I really think we have more important things to discuss!" Laura shouts, shaking a little. Both Danny and Carmilla visibly relax.

"Still the voice of reason, as always." Danny sighs.

"Yeah, unfortunately, since it seems like none of my friends can stop fighting each other." Laura mutters, shaking her head. Carmilla's brow scrunches in concern, rubbing Laura's arm gently. For a moment, Laura thinks about just falling into Carmilla's arms. She's going through far too many overwhelming emotions right now. But instead, she shakes her head and turns back to Danny. "Look, I'm so happy to see you again. I really am. Especially… since you're not under the Dean's thrall anymore. It was hard to see you like that."

"I know. I'm really sorry for everything I did back then." Danny expresses.

"It wasn't your fault this happened to you." Laura gestures towards her. "And I need you to know that I'm not suspicious because of your past actions. But right now we're dealing with a lot of blind spots and… it's kind of concerning that you just happened to be here, where the blast went off, with some knowledge on the subject, apparently. How do you even know that it only affects humans?"

"I get it." Danny nods. "I've been looking into this for a long time, Laura. These blasts, they've been happening all over the world for years now. They're usually written off as freak accidents – like a gas leak." Danny gives Laura a pointed look. "That's because everyone who tries to look into it ends up dead, or just disappears into thin air. That's why I've been looking into them. I've been caught in a few blasts, and that's when I realized it only affects humans. Don't believe me? There's your proof right there."

She points to Carmilla, who looks down at herself.

"I suppose I can count myself lucky." Carmilla shrugs.

"And so can Laura. I'm at least grateful your first instinct was to clasp your hand around that locket. That has Laura's heart in it, right? I can hear it." Danny looks to Laura. "Clever. I was wondering how you survived the ritual. And it's still a human part of you so who knows what would have happened if Drusilla's vamp hand hadn't protected it. Hell, who knows what would've happened to you if your whole body got caught in the blast."

Laura swallows hard. She knows what would happen to her. Limbo.

Carmilla takes Laura's hand.

"Well, that's some great information and all, but it still doesn't explain why you're here." Carmilla raises her eyebrow. Danny releases a frustrated sigh.

"As you know, Kirsch can be rather… persistent. I always thought he was like a big, dumb puppy. I'm even more convinced of that now with the way he tracks me down like a hound dog." Danny mutters. "He found me again very quickly even though I told him not to. I didn't want him to get involved… especially after I took his leg. I owe him nothing." She bites her lip. "But I'm glad he did find me, in a way. He told me he told you guys, and that you weren't going to help. That's when I knew I needed to come find you. I knew you'd end up mixed up in it eventually. I know you well enough by now, Hollis."

Danny and Laura share a smile for a moment, a sign of mutual understanding.

"Well… I'm glad you're here. We're kind of fumbling around in the dark. We need all the extra help we can get." Laura states, squeezing Carmilla's hand. "Right, Carm? We're going to be nice and work together."

"Hmm? Oh. Yeah. Sure." Carmilla mumbles.

"Great. So…" Danny shifts awkwardly. "Can I stay with you? I don't really have a place-"

"Not a chance in hell, stretch." Carmilla hisses. "You're still a loose cannon and you're going to need to prove yourself before I let you anywhere near Laura."

"Um, excuse me. I don't mean to butt in, but perhaps Miss. Lawrence could take up temporary residence within my domicile. I am a vampire after all, so it would be improbable that she would try to find sustenance from my blood. Plus, I, er, own a pullout couch."

The three of them turn to see LaF and J.P. had arrived at some point, with J.P. making the generous offer.

"Then that's settled." Laura grins. "Is Kirsch with you?"

"Not right now, no, but he's in the city. Of course. Literally a puppy that follows me everywhere." Danny rolls her eyes.

"So the gang's back together!" Laura exclaims.

"And now maybe we can get some new info." LaF suggests, looking at Danny. "What have you got?"

"I'm glad you asked." Danny beams. "Okay, so, I know this will be hard to believe, but the people behind this run an organization named Crypt-"

"We know." Carmilla groans. Danny blinks for a moment.

"Well, okay, but did you know they're really what are called 'Reapers'-"

" _Yes._ " Everyone says in unison to Danny.

"Oh." Danny deflates. "Then I got nothing."

"Oh yeah, big help. Orange is the new useless." Carmilla quips, earning a glare from Danny.

"I… don't mean to break this up, but I'm almost certain that in any minute this place will be teeming with police – possibly military. It would be… rather wise not to be here when they arrive." J.P. points out.

"J.P. is right. We should break for now and maybe meet up again tomorrow. I've had far too much excitement for one day." Laura groans, leaning into Carmilla.

"Let's get you home, Cupcake." Carmilla smiles softly, shouldering most of Laura's weight.

As they all leave, LaF looks around cautiously.

"So, like, how morally ambiguous would it be of me to take a sample of some of the techno blood right now?" They question. "A lot? Not really? …It's for science!"

* * *

"I know you want us to get along, but I swear if she makes one more condescending comment towards me I'll ginger-snap her fingers off." Carmilla complains as her and Laura walk down the hallway to their apartment. Laura hasn't said a word since they started heading home, and Carmilla assumes it's because of her animosity towards Danny. "I try not to play into that vampire hierarchy bullshit, but for Xena I'm willing to play the age card. And I thought she was self-righteous as a human."

Laura again says nothing, unlocking their door. Carmilla sighs.

"Look, it's not like I'm actually going to fight her. I'll keep my claws clipped – for now. As long as she behaves. I hate babysitting, and I was never exactly Goliath's number one fan. I think I'm entitled to a little bitterness, am I not?" Carmilla questions as she follows Laura inside. Laura keeps up her silence, stoically closing the door behind them. "Laura-"

Carmilla's cut off by Laura gently pushing her against the wall, which is quickly followed up by Laura pressing her lips to Carmilla's. It's soft and sensual, holding a certain gravity that most of their casual kisses don't share. There's a bit of a tremble in Laura's lips.

They part, and Laura's eyes slowly open. Carmilla searches them, trying to map a way to Laura's thoughts.

"Cupcake?" Carmilla inquires tenderly.

"Don't- don't scare me like that again." Laura croaks, and Carmilla's eyes widen slightly in understanding.

"You're upset about the blast." Carmilla says slowly. Laura nods, tears starting to pool over the base of her eyes. "It's not like I planned to be caught in that, cutie."

"I know." Laura shudders. "But – damnit, I just, I didn't know if you were alive or dead, and, and I didn't know what I was going to do, and I never got a chance to fully process it because Danny showed up and now it's hitting me all at once and you're standing here and I  _see_  you but I'm still so scared – terrified and I… I…"

"Hey, hey, hey…" Carmilla caresses Laura's cheek soothingly. "I'm alright. Remember? Supernatural. The blast couldn't harm me."

"A technicality. You're alive on a technicality. You're not dead because  _technically_ you're not a human. Your soul wasn't consumed because  _technically_ you didn't use the Sword of Haster to kill something. The arrow  _technically_ didn't pierce your heart. Is our luck going to run out? Are we going to reach a point where you don't turn up safe and sound?" Laura whimpers, grasping at Carmilla's arms.

"That's a rather bleak outlook." Carmilla raises an eyebrow. "I can't even count how many times I should be dead by now.  _Technically_ , I should've been dead around 320 years ago.  _Technically_ , I am dead. And yet, here I am." Carmllia's arms find Laura's waist, pulling her close. "I already spend far too much time contemplating my entire existence. Perhaps for once we should just count our blessings and not delve too much into the 'what ifs'."

"You're probably right. But it's just… fresh, you know? I'm still pretty shaken, and I-" Laura bites her lip. "I can't lose you."

"I suppose it'd be hard to find someone else competent enough to look after your locket. Xena certainly wouldn't fit the bill." Carmilla quips.

"Shut up." Laura mutters, leaning her head into Carmilla's shoulder. "You know it's more than that."

"Yeah." Carmilla whispers. "I know. I'm trying to avoid the thought of what would have happened had you gone into that mall instead."

"About that…" Laura breathes, her fingers curling around to Carmilla's back. "This blast – if it's meant for just humans, Crypt is probably trying to create a world devoid of humanity and leaving it to the supernatural."

"I was thinking the same thing." Carmilla closes her eyes, hugging Laura tightly.

"Judging by the attack today, they're getting more powerful. If… if they succeed, or I do get caught in something-"

"Don't." Carmilla's voice quivers.

"Carm, listen, please." Laura begs. "If it happens, can you please destroy the locket? Or if my body is ever destroyed… crush my heart. Please, can you do that for me?"

"Laura." Carmilla's voice is sharp. "I can't even fathom that situation taking place. Don't make me think about it."

Laura pushes back slightly to see the pain in Carmilla's eyes. "I understand, I do… but this is the world we live in right now. I know I've already selfishly asked you to handle my heart before. I won't make you do it this time. It can be Mattie – god knows she'd do it happily. Just make sure it's destroyed. Don't let me waste away in limbo."

Carmilla gives Laura a long and hard look, her lips pressed tightly. When she finally opens her mouth, her teeth are grit fiercely and Laura swears she can see her fangs poking out.

"Should that ever come to pass, I promise. But I won't let it ever reach that point." Carmilla glowers.

"Carm…" Laura sighs.

"Listen. I didn't wait centuries for someone like you just to lose you so easily. If someone wants to take you away from me, they'll have to rip you from my cold, dead embrace." Carmilla mutters.

"You're already cold and dead, remember?" Laura points out.

"Then I suppose they'll never take you. Not as long as I hold on tight." Carmilla states, resting her forehead against Laura's. Laura closes her eyes.

"And I'll hold on just as tight." Laura promises. "I… I won't let anyone take you away from me, either. For as long as I exist."

"In that case, seems like neither of us have anything to worry about." Carmilla offers a small smile before kissing Laura softly.

"I love you, Carm." Laura breathes.

"Love you too, Cupcake." Carmilla expresses.

Laura collapses into Carmilla, the exhaustion of the day taking over. Every part of her right now just wants to revel in Carmilla and forget the rest of the world. Just for tonight.

"So… about that bath." Carmilla speaks, picking up on Laura's fatigue.

"Oh, holy hippogriff, I need one so much right now." Laura groans.

"Can I still join you?" Carmilla smirks.

"Honestly, you have no choice." Laura drags Carmilla from the wall, toward the bathroom where a Sakura bath bomb is waiting for them.

They leave a trail of carelessly discarded clothes in their wake.

* * *

The next day, they all decided that Laura and Carmilla's apartment was far more enticing than a sketchy café, so they were scheduled to meet there to decide their next move.

Unfortunately for Carmilla, that meant that she was charged with obtaining lunch for everyone for when they arrived.

"Ridiculous. Only three of us actually need human food. Why do I need to get an order for everyone?" Carmilla grumbles under her breath.

"I'm sorry?" The cashier gives Carmilla a confused look.

"I said I'll have 2 number 4's, a number 6 and a number 7, a number 8 with extra fries, a buffalo chicken salad and two zesty wraps." Carmilla lists off. She feels dirty just uttering the word zesty.

"And the drinks for the combos?" The cashier asks. Carmilla blinks.

"Oh, fuck, I don't know… whatever, they can just drink water from our tap." Carmilla huffs.

"So… no drinks?" The cashier inquires.

"Brilliant deduction. I can see why your college degree landed you here." Carmilla rolls her eyes. The cashier stares at her.

"O…kay." The cashier nods slowly. "Will that be cash or debit?"

Carmilla is beyond relieved when she leaves that grease-stained establishment with equally grease-stained paper bags.

And people think drinking blood is disgusting.

She tries to rush home because, as much as she knows Crypt has no reason to believe Laura is still alive, she hates leaving her home alone and vulnerable. Even if Laura has some Krav Maga abilities, Carmilla is only truly at peace when Laura's in her line of sight. Not just because of feeling an obligation to be Laura's protector, but because Laura has that calming effect on her. She's certain she wouldn't have snapped at the fast-food employee the way she had if Laura had been near.

Or maybe that's just because she knows Laura would have given her that disapproving look she hates she much had she overheard.

But if she's being honest, she does worry for Laura's safety most of all. She's loathe to compare herself to  _Danny_ , the queen of being overbearing, but she has to admit that Laura tends to get herself into a lot of trouble. She could be sticking a knife into an outlet trying to get it to work right now. Carmilla's head twinges at the thought.

Actually, it twinges a lot.

And it's getting worse.

"Oh no. No, no, no. Fuck off. No." Carmilla bends over, clenching her teeth as the pain overtakes her. The sensation is far too familiar.

The bags of food plop to the ground as Carmilla clutches her head, trying to contain whatever feels like it's crawling out of her skull right now. She dry heaves, the world spinning as she crumples onto the sidewalk.

"Miss? Miss, are you okay?"

Carmilla looks up, her version blurry, and sees the outline of an older man looking very concerned.

"You collapsed suddenly, and… do you need to go to the hospital?" The man asks.

"I'm fine." Carmilla growls, jumping up as the pounding in her head subsides. She looks around in a frenzy, but she can't see anyone suspicious. Certainly not a Reaper.

"Are you sure? Because it looked like you really hit your head-" The man continues.

" _I'm fine_." Carmilla snaps, grasping the bags of food and quickly stalking away. Whatever happened, she wasn't going to stick around and find out what it was.

"Oh, Miss! Sorry, you dropped something!" The man calls after her. She turns around, agitated until she see the paper in his hand. She snatches it away, looking at the writing. It's an address, followed by a neatly scrawled note.

_If you want it back  
Come meet us tonight_

Carmilla's brow furrows, but then her eyes widen in horror as her reaches up to her chest. She nearly erupts into a scream at what she finds.

The locket's gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It had to happen eventually.


	12. Repo Man Guys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla plays a game of Lost & Found in more ways than one.

Laura stares intensely at the tangled mess of wires in front of her, trying to figure out which plug goes where and what fits into what jack and… she wishes she knew more about these kinds of things.

Laura doesn't play many video games, but with everyone coming over to discuss the potential end of humanity as they know it, she figured she'd set up the old Nintendo 64 she had rescued from her old house. A slice of normalcy amidst the chaos in the form of pelting each other with shells in Mario Kart.

She thinks she finds a part that plugs into the wall, so she finds the unused outlet nearest to the TV and tries to shove the prongs in, but something stops it from sliding all the way in. Taking a look, she sees something wedged in one of the slots. Who the hell did that?

Picking up a letter opener off the coffee table, Laura heads to pry whatever it is out – but wait, it's metal. She almost electrocuted herself!

…Well, it's not like she could  _die_  from it-

The apartment door flies open with Carmilla storming in. Laura jumps up and drops the letter opener, hands in the air.

"I wasn't about to do anything stupid!" Laura insists. If Carmilla heard her, she didn't acknowledge it. Within a second, Laura's face is cupped in Carmilla's hands and her eyes dart over her rapidly, as if examining her.

"How are you feeling? Do you feel anything different?" Carmilla rushes out. Laura blinks in confusion.

"I'm… fine. Why?" Laura gapes as Carmilla's hand run over her body – usually a turn on, but Carmilla's panic is distracting Laura too much from any sexy times.

"You swear? You're not in any pain or anything?" Carmilla croaks out.

"I swear! Carmilla, what's going on?" Laura interrogates, extremely worried.

Carmilla's eyes shut tight and she bites her own lip, hard.

"Carm, you're shaking." Laura observes, touching Carmilla's cheek. "What happened?"

Carmilla feels herself trembling. She's barely keeping it together. Laura's fine for now, but how long will that hold? Laura's life is out of her control now, and how is she supposed to tell her that? She can't tell her that.

But… no, Carmilla promised she wouldn't keep things from Laura anymore. And this is her life. It's far too delicate to keep secret. Laura was right. She can't protect her forever.

"They… they have your locket." Carmilla rasps, eyes opening slowly. Laura's eyes go wide, not needing an explanation on who they are. "I'm so, so sorry Laura. I… I fucked up. I let you down. Now they have your heart and- Fuck!"

Within a blink of an eye, Carmilla is on the other side of their apartment and her fist is through the wall. A tear escapes down her cheek, and in a cloud of drywall dust she sinks to the floor, letting the sobs overtake her.

Vampires do cry when they let down the person they love most.

"I'm so fucking sorry." Carmilla whimpers. She feels pathetic, as she probably should. How could she let this happen? Now Laura's in danger and all she can do is fall apart.

Laura watches Carmilla slowly break down, certain that wherever her heart is now, it's pounding ridiculously fast. They have her locket. That's her life essence. All it takes is a forceful enough impact, and she'll-

She pushes the thought back for now. Carmilla needs her.

Laura kneels next to Carmilla, who's unapologetically sobbing, forehead pressed into the wall. Laura wraps her arms around her, rocking her gently.

"Carm, it's okay-"

"No, it's not." Carmilla chokes. Laura sighs, nodding slowly.

"You're right. It's not." Laura mumbles, squeezing Carmilla tightly. "We'll figure this out."

"The thing that was more important to me than anything else, that I dedicated my eternity to protect… and I lost it so easily." Carmilla's fists clench. "How can you even look at me?"

Laura grasps Carmilla's shoulders, twisting her towards her. "Because unless you willingly handed it to them, which I doubt, then you did your best." Laura expresses.

"And it wasn't enough." Her voice trembles. "And now they've got the one thing that'll bring us pause. They've won. There's nothing we can do."

"Carm. Please. Snap out of it." Laura begs, shaking Carmilla a little. "We can… we can still do  _something_."

"Like what? What could we possibly do to rectify this?" Carmilla's head snaps up, eyes dark.

"I… I don't know. But as I see it now, here are my options." Laura states. "Maybe you're right and now that they have this piece of blackmail, we can't do anything. So we just wait until eventually the world explodes with my body along with it, leaving my heart with Crypt to never release me from limbo.  **Or**  we can try to get it back. Sure I might end up dead anyway, but it's the lesser of two evils. And we might get it back. Better than sitting on our asses, waiting."

Carmilla sits there silently a moment before a small chuckle escapes her.

"Here I am with vampire strength, and my girlfriend turns out a lot stronger than I am." Carmilla mutters. Laura bites her lip.

"Carm… I'm scared. Everything in me wants to just… give in and accept my fate. Maybe try to go to Disney World one last time before I die or complete some sort of bucket list." Laura cups Carmilla's cheek. "But I know where I draw my strength from."

Carmilla's eyes trail up to meet Laura's. They're intense – filled with an impalpable determination. Still naïve after all.

"I don't know if it's enough to win this time, Cupcake." Carmilla mumbles. Laura's eyes narrow.

"So you're not even going to try?" Laura accuses. Carmilla snickers, shaking her head.

"Of course I'm still going to try. I'm just being a realist. Someone has to keep your head out of the clouds, after all." Carmilla murmurs before growing serious. "I'll never forgive myself if I can't fix what I've caused. I promised myself I would be someone worthy of carrying your heart."

Laura wells up, pressing her lips to Carmilla's, exhaling all the tension and fear. Just for a moment.

"Thank you." She whispers.

"Well this is sufficiently awkward." Danny states from the doorway. Laura and Carmilla snap their focus to their four friends in the door, who are currently staring at them. Kirsch's gaze finds the hole in the wall right above the two tangled lovers.

"Nice. Kinky." He grins, nodding.

"I will punch you." Danny snarls at him.

"Wh- how did you guys get in here? How long have you been there?" Laura gapes.

"Just got here. The door was wide open." LaF explains, surveying the situation.

"Where's the food?" Kirsch hobbles in.

"Uh, Mr. Kirsch – 'bro'. Maybe it would be in our best interest to return at a later time seeing as Miss. Hollis and Miss. Karnstein are, um, preoccupied." J.P. suggests.

"God, does everybody think we just sit around all day screwing like rabbits?" Laura scoffs.

"I mean, that's what it seems like girls do in those-" Kirsch pauses when he sees the look on Danny's face. "…home… videos that I absolutely don't watch anymore."

"He still watches them." J.P. whispers to LaF with a grimace on his face.

"Wait a second." Danny takes a step inside, narrowing her eyes at Laura. "You've been crying." Then she looks at Carmilla, who quickly bows her head to hide her face. "And so have  _you_."

Kirsch frowns. "I didn't watch any videos like that."

"Kirsch, I did not bring you here so you could go back to your gross, objectifying habits." Danny snaps, and turns back to Laura and Carmilla. "What happened?"

Carmilla tenses as Laura answers with a tremor in her voice. "Crypt – they took my locket." She reveals.

" _What_?" Danny storms forward. "How the hell did that happen?"

"They got into my head." Carmilla mutters. "They use these batwing charms that fuck my system over. I couldn't do a damn thing."

"You were just careless." Danny spits. "See what your apathetic attitude gets you? You think you're so untouchable. Now look what's happened."

Carmilla jumps up, shooting a murderous glare. For a moment it looks like she's about to fire back a retort, but instead her face falls and she storms away to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Carmilla!" Laura rushes after her, placing her hands on the door. She shuts her eyes, sinking into the wooden frame and wishing she could just phase through and take Carmilla back into her arms. She's never seen her look so broken.

"Dude, not cool." Kirsch shoots to Danny.

"What? I didn't lose Laura's locket to the bad guys." Danny huffs. Laura whips around, and had she been a vampire, her fangs surely would have been bared.

"That's it!" Laura shouts. "Nobody is giving anyone else any more  _shit_  for anything from now on! We're up against a powerful enemy and we're going to mess up some times! Know how we handle that? Working together to fix it! Not kicking each other when we're down!" Laura lectures. "And since I'm the one currently with my life in danger,  _what I say goes_! You got it?"

Laura shoots a pointed look to Danny who nods slowly.

"Yeah. Sorry. It was just… a shock." Danny mumbles. Laura points toward the bathroom.

"Apologize." Laura demands.

"S…sorry, fangface." Danny concedes.

" _Carmilla._ " Laura corrects.

"Carmilla." Danny repeats, swallowing hard.

"Miss. Hollis is sometimes more terrifying then Miss. Belmonde." J.P. whispers to LaF. Laura takes a breath, counts to ten, and then turns back to the bathroom. She places a hand on the door.

"Carm, honey, when you're ready to come out and join us… we'll be here. Then we'll figure things out." Laura murmurs.

Carmilla stares at the door across from her, sitting against the wall and hugging her legs to her. Once again, as she does several times per day, she questions what she did to deserve Laura.

She certainly doesn't feel like she does now.

Carmilla almost laughs at herself. Completely crippled by a comment from Xena. This is truly her lowest point.

She shifts a little to pull her phone out and automatically dials the number on her mind.

Please pick up.

" **Hello, my little monster**."

Carmilla breaks into a small smile.

"Didn't you get the message? We're having a meeting at my apartment." Carmilla comments. She can practically hear Mattie's eyes roll.

" **Ah, yes, another gathering of the nitwits**." Mattie tuts. " **I'm already doing my part. Plenty of vampires are infuriated with Crypt's plan and want to retaliate. Is there really a need for me to join the summit of the subpar**?"

"No, I suppose not." Carmilla sighs, crossing her legs. "Just wish you were here. Laura's friends are proving insufferable, as usual." Carmilla mutters.

" **I can only imagine, darling**." Mattie chuckles. " **You sound a tad downtrodden, dear. I assume this isn't another casual ring**?"

Carmilla rests her head in her hand. "I fucked up, Mattie."

" **What a surprise**." Mattie says sarcastically.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mat." Carmilla scowls.

" **You do tend to get yourself into trouble quite often, sweet cheeks**." Mattie relays. " **You've never let that stop you before**."

"This is different." Carmilla mumbles. There's a pause over the phone.

" **Listen, little sis. For over a thousand years, I was trapped in the tangled web that Mother had woven. I eventually found the gall to question her decisions but never the courage to fight back. She had several other disposable thralls, and not one of us ever tried the impossible – to dethrone the evil queen. Not one. Until you.** " Mattie recalls.

"I hardly call sending girls back as an act of rebellion my attempt to dethrone anyone. More along the lines of teenage vampire angst." Carmilla acknowledges.

" **Ah, yet she is dethroned now, isn't she**?" Mattie points out. " **You were always a curious creature with how you identified with empathy to the world around you. I kept an extra eye on you because I knew it would get you in more than a few sticky situations. I figured it a weakness and, well, I took a liking to you more than any of the other thralls Mother had picked up**."

"Well, you were right. I'm weak." Carmilla sighs.

" **I was wrong**." Mattie interjects, catching Carmilla by surprise. " **You leave yourself exposed and vulnerable, yes. But that also allows room for other sources of strength to fill those spaces. You took your empathy as far as saving a small, gnat of a girl. You fell in love with her, she in turn fell for you and as much as I still dislike the twerp… you and she can complete the impossible**."

The phone nearly slips from Carmilla's hand. She thinks back to what Laura had said earlier.

_But I know where I draw my strength from_

"Damn." Carmilla breathes. "Turns out, I'm the naïve one."

" **Darling, whatever it is that ails you – give it hell**." Mattie wishes.

"Thank you, Mattie." Carmilla smiles.

" **Tata. Be sure to let the League of Fools know I'm doing my job**." Mattie states.

"I will." Carmilla promises, hanging up. She takes a breath, stands up, and pushes the door open.

"-and the weirdest part about the blood is there seems to be no source to the neon glow. I couldn't detect any bioluminescence.  _But_ , and this is the most interesting part, there were some striking similarities between the plasma and the brain goop sample from Silas." LaF explains to everyone as they sit around the living room.

"You mean from Lophiiformes?" Laura gasps, and LaF nods.

"Yes. It's very intriguing. I have to do some more research but I have a theory." LaF states. "If Reapers are causing the blast, then there's a possibility they aren't collecting the souls from the bodies afterward. Ergo, creepy soul residue."

"But why?" Danny questions.

"Who cares?" Carmilla finally speaks up, catching everyone's attention. "Whatever their reason is doesn't matter. The Reapers are going to need someone to ferry their own souls once I'm done with them."

"Carm…" Laura breathes, springing up and over to Carmilla. She wraps her in her arms, giving a tight hug. Carmilla closes her eyes, breathing Laura in. No, she definitely wasn't giving this girl up without a fight. Laura pulls away slowly, looking Carmilla. "You okay?"

"Of course, Cupcake." Carmilla shrugs. "Don't we have a locket to get back?"

A smile spreads across Laura's face and she hugs Carmilla again, turning her head to whisper in Carmilla's ear.

"Welcome back." Laura coos.

"Sorry I lost myself for a second there, cutie." Carmilla whispers back, pecking Laura on the cheek and pulling back. She gives Danny a nod, which Danny returns. They'll put aside their differences for Laura. "So, let's get started."

"Okay, how do we find these guys?" Danny questions. "We don't exactly have any leads."

"Actually, we do." Carmilla states, pulling the note out of her back pocket and tossing it onto the coffee table. "They want to meet."

"Carm, why didn't you mention this before?" Laura questions, reading it.

"I figured it was just a trap." Carmilla sighs.

"I think that's a rather fair assessment." J.P. agrees.

"Yeah, but it's all we got." Carmilla nods. "Might as well try, right?"

"Great. So J.P., Carmilla, and I will go. We're the vampires so we have the best chance." Danny suggests.

"Not in this case. Remember? They have an irksome failsafe to deal with vampires." Carmilla mutters. "I'm assuming they knew there would be blow back from the vampires once their plan was discovered."

"So we'll go too." Laura states. "The humans will get rid of the batwings somehow, leaving you guys free to attack." Laura looks to Carmilla. "And don't try to stop me. My life is in danger either way."

Carmilla gives a smirk. "You talk as if I'd be able to stop you even if I tried, creampuff."

Laura visibly relaxes, beaming.

"Woo! Gonna scrap with the Repo Man guys!" Kirsch cheers.

"Yeah, great. How are the humans going to do this?" Danny questions. Again, Carmilla smirks.

"I've found a method that's proved rather effective."

* * *

"Why is it always an abandoned warehouse?" Laura groans, looking at their surroundings. The note didn't specify a time, so when the sun set they headed to the location – which is exactly as Laura described it.

"The remote location and condemned facilities make the probability of being detected or interrupted fairly unlikely." J.P. answers.

"I think it was rhetorical, Jeep." LaF sighs.

"Oh. Apologies." J.P. flushes.

"Okay, humans." Carmilla turns to the group. "Reminder that these guys have a means to obliterate all of you in seconds, so if you want to turn back now, this would be a good time."

Nobody moves.

"A bro never abandons his bros." Kirsch declares proudly.

"You sure you can handle this with your leg, beefcake?" Carmilla questions.

"Hell yeah. The rest of my body overcompensates. I'll bench press these assholes." Kirsch cracks his knuckles.

"If you say so." Carmilla shrugs, turning back to the sparse, decrepit warehouse. "And now we wait."

They wait for about an hour, getting antsier as the seconds ticked by. All of them are on high alert, knowing that at any moment the guillotine could drop. But no one is more nervous than Laura.

Eventually she finds herself sitting on a stack of old wooden boards, practically chewing her fingers off. Carmilla notices, and drops her guard for a moment to saunter over and sit next to her.

"How you holding up?" Carmilla asks gently.

"This waiting is killing me. Literally." Laura groans, putting her head in her hands. Carmilla rubs her back soothingly. "But hey, it's not like I haven't gone through this before, right? I remember a certain night three years ago where I didn't know if I was going to live or die."

Carmilla's arm snaked around Laura's shoulders. "You're practically an expert." Carmilla comments. Laura stares ahead, not reacting. Carmilla sighs. "Hey. Sorry again for being so useless earlier. I wasn't there for you like I should've been."

"It's okay. You had to work something out." Laura murmurs, leaning her head over to rest it against Carmilla's.

"And now I have. And now I'm ready to make sure you get out of this alive." Carmilla promises. Laura smiles at that.

"What happened to that realism from earlier?" Laura questions.

"I had an epiphany." Carmilla muses. "Perhaps we transcend the reality of our given situations."

"Well, I am a heartless invincible human and you're a vampire. I definitely agree we don't exactly fit the box that reality sets for us." Laura smiles and bites her lip. "Carm, whatever happens tonight… know I'll always love you."

"And I love you." Carmilla coos, turning her head to rest their foreheads together.

That's when her head starts to twinge.

"Carmilla." Danny says sharply. "It's time."

Carmilla gets up quickly and places herself in a fighting stance.

"What? How do you know?" Laura asks.

"I'm assuming we all have a smidgen of a headache." J.P. glowers, and none of them had ever seen him look so… fighting ready.

"Curious."

They hear the voice before they see the small purple flames start to spread across the floor of the warehouse and erupting into spouts. Everyone tenses, but the flames give off no heat or attempt to go after the group. Instead, they dissipate leaving behind some regally dressed individuals with white hair. Carmilla counts seven.

The one in the middle Laura recognizes from the one that watched them across the street. He observes them calmly, mostly with an emotionless demeanor save for the slightest of smiles on his face.

"Three years ago we received reports of a young female human whose soul was released and then snatched back from the void before we could take it. This is not uncommon, as humans are resuscitated quite often, but this particular case was… unusual." The Reaper in the suit tilts his head. "Had we known you were the young woman in question, perhaps we would not all be gathered here now."

He slowly lifts the locket, the black pearl gleaming from a beam of moonlight flooding in from a broken window. Carmilla, at the first sight of the locket, lunges forward – but doubles over in pain as all the Reapers raise their arms, batwings dangling from each wrist.

"Ah, mustn't be too hasty." The main Reaper chuckles. "It's amazing what the wings of a very special, ancient breed of bat can do, isn't it? We were very fortuitous to find such a breed."

"Give it back." Carmilla trembles darkly.

"No manners, I see." The Reaper sighs. "We haven't even discussed the terms of the agreement yet."

"I'm guessing you want us to stop pursuing you?" Laura asks. The Reaper turns to look at her.

"That is part of the arrangement, yes." He nods. Laura takes a breath.

"Maybe if we understood you better, we wouldn't have any problems." Laura states. "May I ask why you're doing all this?"

The Reaper's smile grows slightly. "Hmm. You are much more polite. It's almost a shame we found ourselves in this predicament." He comments. "I'm assuming that, amongst your meddling research, you have discovered what it is we do?"

The group nods.

"Then I can get to the point." The Reaper acknowledges. "Since the dawn of humanity, Reapers were charged with the responsibility of carting human souls from this world once their bodies die. To not do so would prove disastrous to everyone, so it was a noble deed. But it has grown… tiresome." The Reaper's smile falls a bit. "The population rises faster than it can fall, and yet that means more deaths for us to take care of. And for such idiotic reasons that humans die as well. Wars. Self-destruction.  _Doing challenges from the internet_. There's barely enough time for us to be ourselves anymore. So we decided, what if we removed humanity entirely?"

"So you're doing this… out of laziness?" Laura gapes. The Reaper scowls.

"If you, too, had to cart souls for all eternity, then you'd find you'd be singing a different tune. We simply want our freedom." He states.

"But if you want to stop carting souls, what's stopping the 'disastrous' things from happening once you wipe out humanity?" LaF asks.

"I know you're familiar with our little explosions. They're a concoction of ours. One of the ingredients is… something that can withhold souls all on its own, you could say." The Reaper explains.

"Like the blood of Lophiiformes." LaF states.

"Smart human." The Reaper looks impressed. "Which leads us to our discussion. As you can tell, while our blast is effective, it has yet to reach a global scale. We're still missing an ingredient. We figured that, perhaps if we had something that would seek out life – say, a vampire for sustenance – then the explosion would itself seek humans."

"You want Carmilla." Laura gapes.

"Precisely." The Reaper smiles. Carmilla tenses.

"Why me?" Carmilla growls. "There's hundreds of thousands of vampires in the world. Why me?"

"You're an easy target." The Reaper states plainly. "The experimental process would be grueling and a regular vampire would fight back, making it more trouble than its worth. You, however, are missing your beast, making you easier to contain."

Carmilla's fists clench.

"Second off," He holds up the locket, "You are unique in which you give us a bargaining chip. As soon as one of our associates saw you protect this locket in the recent explosion, we knew. A vampire genuinely deeply in love with a human. So curious. It certainly wasn't as frivolous as we previously viewed it. All the better for us."

"So I give myself up, you give the locket back and Laura goes safe. But then what? They also have to stop pursuing you. She'll die in the blast you create from me anyway." Carmilla mutters.

"I assure you, your little human and her friends will be perfectly safe. We are still an honourable group, after all. At least in the sense we honour our agreements." The Reaper looks to Kirsch. "We would have to perform a vasectomy on the male, of course. Can't have another population boost of humans and start this all over again."

"Dude! That is so not cool!" Kirsch gawks, crossing his legs and placing his cane in front of his crotch. The Reaper ignores him.

"So, do we have a deal?" The Reaper asks. Carmilla bows her head. She's still, yet shaking… and then she walks forward.

"Carmilla, no!" Laura dashes out in front of her. "I won't let you do this."

"This is the easiest way, Cupcake." Carmilla mumbles. "My life for yours. It's a no-brainer."

Laura grasps Carmilla by the shoulders, shaking her head and holding back tears.

"The price is too high." Laura croaks.

"It's my choice, Laura." Carmilla glowers.

"It's mine too!" Laura shouts. "I'd rather let myself die than give you over to these creeps for… experimentation?! And then just accept humanity will perish?" Laura exclaims, shaking her head. "I can't. I won't."

"And I won't let you die." Carmilla growls. "Let me do this for you."

"No." Laura says firmly. They stand there, silent, the tension thick.

"My, it seems we have come to an impasse." The Reaper sighs. "What a beautiful thing… loving each other so much you'd rather die than seeing the other fall into harm's way. This is rather inconvenient, however, so perhaps you need a little encouragement to come to a conclusion."

He raises the locket, squeezing it until a crack flashes across the surface of the pearl.

Unbearable pain shoots through Laura's body, and she falls to the floor screaming.

"Laura, Laura!" Carmilla cries out, catching her. Laura clutches at Carmilla, letting out pained gasps.

"I'm… I'm okay." Laura winces. It feels as though pins and needles are pricking at her entire body. "Carmilla. Please. I'm begging you. Don't… leave…" Laura chokes, and spits up blood.

"Laura…" Carmilla trembles. Her teeth grit, fangs bared as she watches Laura struggle. Unimaginable rage strikes her, and she sees red. She lays Laura down gently, and looks up at the Reaper.

Her pupils shift into thin slits.

"Careful, leech. It'd be a shame if this trinket became even more damaged." The Reaper warns. The others hold up their batwings. Carmilla flinches only a moment before pressing onward.

" _ **Give it to me**_." Carmilla demands in a distorted, guttural, threatening tone.

"Without paying the price? That's not how this works." The Reaper sneers. "I suppose this means you've made your choice."

The Reaper's hand encloses tightly over the locket. Laura whimpers, but Carmilla's eyes merely flash yellow.

And then her body begins to shift.

When Laura looks up, her eyes widen at what she sees. Carmilla's body expands, much further beyond her usual panther size. As her body transforms into a cat, Laura immediately knows something is wrong. It's not the same smooth, elegant panther she's used to. The fur is coming out in tufts and tangles. Her front paws are disproportionately larger than her back paws, and her snout is longer. Fangs erupt from her mouth like a sabretooth, as well as froth as if she were rabid. Her eyes glow an eerie yellow.

And Laura can't sense a part of Carmilla in there.

"That's not possible." The Reaper gapes. For the first time during their meeting, he shows a significant degree of emotion. Fear.

Before he can squeeze the locket anymore, Carmilla lunges at him. He lets out a shriek as the claws rip through him. He dissolves, turning into a shimmering purple dust, and the locket clatters to the ground. Laura feels a relief physically, but she's still freaked out about Carmilla.

Carmilla – or whatever she is – stalks slowly to the other Reapers. Terrified, they hold up the batwings, but to no avail. She leaps on top of one, tearing into them in a puff of purple dust.

"Danny!" Laura calls over her shoulder. Danny looks over, her eyes wide in awe. "She's not in control right now!"

Danny's eyes narrow, and she flinches. "I can't do anything with those batwings around." She warns.

Kirsch and LaF look at each other, nodding, and then they dart to either side, picking out the batwings out of the purple dust. They both take out lighters, setting the batwings aflame. As each one incinerates, the stress alleviates off Danny and J.P.

Carmilla stalks around in a circle, growling, having finished ripping the rest of the Reapers apart. She scans the area for her next victim.

Unfortunately those demonic eyes fall on Kirsch just as he's burning the last batwing. She pounces on top of him, and his leg makes it impossible to get away.

"Wah! Good kitty! Nice kitty!" Kirsch screams, bracing for the slice of the claws. It doesn't come, as a large and red grizzly bear blindsides Carmilla.

Carmilla lets out a roar that mixes with Danny's, and they clash, claws slashing and jaws snapping. J.P. leaps onto Carmilla's back, wrapping his arms around her neck and trying to hold her back.

"Don't hurt her! Just subdue her!" Laura pleads, shakily standing up. She's never seen Carmilla lose control like this. She's never been so  _scared_  of Carmilla.

LaF checks on Kirsch, who's only a little winded thankfully.

Carmilla hisses and falls on her back. A grunt of pain comes from J.P. as he's crushed beneath her weight. A small lizard crawls out, limping away. The lizard turns back into J.P., coughing and holding his side.

Danny, in bear form, backhands Carmilla. She slides across the ground, growling and snapping her jaw as she scrambles up. She lunges back at Danny, and Danny has no chance against Carmilla alone.

Danny crashes through the warehouse wall, a rain of bricks falling over her. She phases back into her human form, unmoving. J.P. lets out a cry, slamming a fist into Carmilla's side. Carmilla barely registers it. She slams a paw down onto J.P., a sharp claw at his throat.

"Carmilla!" Laura calls out. The cat stops, slowly turning to look at her. "Carmilla. I know you're in there. This isn't you. Just… just calm down. We're safe now. You don't need to fight anymore."

Carmilla abandons J.P., finding the small, feisty human much more interesting. She crawls toward Laura menacingly.

"Laura, what are you doing?" LaF hisses.

"Carm, you recognize me, right?" Laura breathes. "Naïve provincial girl? Entirely too tightly wound? Remember?"

Carmilla growls, eyes narrowing and teeth bared. Laura swallows hard.

"Remember when we first met? Remember how we hated each other?" Laura questions, shaking. "Remember how we fell in love anyway? Our first kiss? Please, Carmilla… listen to my voice. Whatever's happening…  _fight it_."

Carmilla stops for a moment.

And then she leaps forward, her jaw clamping down on Laura's left arm as she knocks her to the ground. Laura feels a painful snap as the teeth sink through her skin. She cries out, the pain shocking her and tears start to blur her vision. Still, she reaches up her other arm around Carmilla, fingers grasping at the fur. Carmilla keeps her teeth buried into Laura's arm, growling.

"P-Please." Laura sputters. "Please. Carm. Come back to me. I love you. Come back to me…"

She buries her face into the fur, sobbing softly. Something seems to shift across the vision of the cat. The growling stops, the facial features relaxing, and Laura's arm is slowly released. It slumps to Laura's side, bloody and twisted unnaturally.

The cat's body starts to shrink, fur smoothing out to skin, Carmilla's curly hair left spilling around her shoulders. She slumps over, passing out into Laura's lap. Laura leans over Carmilla's body, crying softly.

"What the hell was that?" Kirsch gapes.

"Carmilla just got… corrupted?" LaF ponders. Danny limps over, having pulled herself up from the rubble.

"I'm really getting tired of fangface knocking me out." Danny trembles. Laura looks up, tears streaming down her face. She notices Danny is keeping her distance.

"Danny, are you okay?" Laura sniffles. Danny looks away, seeming pained.

"I'm fine. It's just… you're bleeding a bit and I'm hungry." Danny grimaces. Laura looks at her arm and feels sick.

"Oh." She breathes.

"We'll patch that up momentarily." J.P. promises, also looking a little worse for wear. He's holding the locket. "What's important is that we had a successful retrieval of this, albeit unconventional and… unexpected. There is a crack, however. How are you feeling?"

"A little tingly." Laura admits, and looks down at Carmilla. "What about Carmilla? Ugh, I hate that she's a vampire sometimes. I can't tell if she's alive or… or…"

"She probably just needs blood." Danny suggests.

"Then let's go! Let's get her some!" Laura demands.

"Uh, maybe we shouldn't wake up the crazy cat lady that just tried to destroy us all?" LaF points out. Laura shakes her head.

"No. She's fine now." Laura bends down, resting her head against Carmilla's.

"It's imperative that we leave immediately. My research concluded the Reaper population is far more extensive than the ones we encountered tonight. I doubt they'll be, um, pleased with the knowledge some of their own were slaughtered tonight." J.P. informs.

"Dude, are you saying this isn't over yet?" Kirsch groans.

"Just our luck." Danny mutters.

Laura squeezes Carmilla close, closing her eyes. The pain in her arm pales in comparison to her concern for Carmilla – and to her relief that for now, they're all still alive.


	13. Utmost High

It was dark. Or, perhaps not dark. Just a lack of anything. Nothingness.

At first the space seemed to vibrate with an encroaching rage. It overtook the nothing until that's all there was. Fury. Desperation. The desire to rip away from everything. Rip into everything.

And then an overwhelming calm.

Back to nothingness.

It seemed to last forever, until eventually, a certain amount of awareness was formed.

Carmilla's body  _aches_.

Her eyes flutter open, and at first she's confused. She can't recall who she or where she is. Her eyes dart around and she tries to move, but she has such a lack of energy that her body might as well have been replaced with a rag doll.

"Carmilla?"

A soft voice breaks through her confusion. The sound almost floats over her, dissipating the groggy veil that had taken hold of her consciousness.

_Laura_.

Carmilla starts to process her surroundings. She's in the bedroom of her apartment, and her eyes rest on the beautiful girl she shares it with. Laura is kneeling on the bed beside her, looking worried – yet slightly relieved.

From what Carmilla remembers, she's relieved to see Laura as well.

"Hey, Cupcake. Don't look so depressed." Carmilla rasps. Laura breaks into a teary smile.

"You're you." Laura sighs, reaching a hand out to comb through Carmilla's hairline. Carmilla purrs at the touch. It's nice to feel something so gentle and loving when everything else burns.

"Who else would I be?" Carmilla questions. Laura's smile drops, and she looks as though she's trying to figure something out.

"What… what do you remember?" Laura inquires. Carmilla's eyebrows scrunch together as the images of the night with the Reapers flood back to her.

"That dickwad broke your locket." Carmilla glowers. "You were hurt."

"That's all?" Laura asks. Carmilla forces herself to nod.

"Are you… okay, cutie?" Carmilla questions. Her eyes fall on Laura's left arm, which is pinned to her torso in a sling. "What the hell happened?"

Laura looks down at her arm and then back to Carmilla. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine, thanks to you." Laura bites her lip. "Well, sort of."

"Sort of?" Carmilla cocks an eyebrow. "Why don't I remember anything? Did one of those grim weasels knock me out? Was it the batwings? How did we escape? How are you alive?"

"Um…" Laura chews on her lip.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Laura, just tell me." Carmilla demands.

"Okay, okay!" Laura concedes. "It's just… there's no easy way to say this."

"Lay it on me." Carmilla requests firmly. Laura lets out a breath.

"You… transformed." Laura reveals. Carmilla's eyes pop open wide.

"What?" She gapes. "But… I can't. I gave that up when I bound that part of me to your locket."

"Yeah. J.P. has a theory about that. He believes that when the locket got cracked, the seal weakened a little bit, allowing you to access it. And you were so angry, you sort of forced yourself, I guess." Laura pauses, taking a deep breath. "But you weren't exactly in… control."

" _What?_ " Carmilla tries to sit up, but groans in pain from the attempt.

"Oh, Carm, careful. You're still a bit drained." Laura leans close, stroking Carmilla's cheek. Carmilla closes her eyes, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"So I lost control as a panther?" Carmilla inquires.

"Or something. I guess you were still a panther, if that panther crawled out of hell." Laura flinches. "LaF calls it 'Corrupted Carmilla'."

"Joy." Carmilla mumbles. Her eyes fall on Laura's arm again, and silence fills the space between them. Carmilla swallows hard again, dreading the answer to her question. "Did I do that to you?"

Laura's heart broke at the sound of Carmilla's voice.

"Oh, honey, no. No, it wasn't you. Whatever that was, it wasn't you." Laura assures her, fingers crawling over Carmilla's scalp. Laura's assurances aren't enough for Carmilla, however.

"I hurt you." Carmilla chokes out, turning her head away.

"Hey, no. You'd never hurt me on purpose. You were all… corrupted!" Laura insists. Carmilla says nothing, continuing to look away. Laura sighs, shifting herself carefully to lie snuggled to Carmilla's side. "Listen, Corrupted Carmilla could've killed me – killed us all very easily. But  _Carmilla_  didn't let that happen. You stopped it. The  _true_  you."

"You still got a fucked up arm because of me." Carmilla mutters.

"I-I know. But I don't hold it against you. Besides, the night could've gone a lot worse, considering." Laura explains. "Corrupted you was a bit of a jerk, but at least she took out the Reapers for us."

"At least I did something useful." Carmilla sighs. "Did I hurt anyone else?"

"J.P. and Danny are a little bruised and Kirsch might never hold a cat again, but otherwise everyone's fine." Laura promises.

"So you got the most hurt?" Carmilla finally turns to look at Laura. The guilt was apparent in her eyes.

"Only because I'm the dumb human who decided it was a good idea to go up against the crazy vampire beastie all alone." Laura shrugs. Carmilla, in spite of everything, breaks into a smirk.

"Typical." She comments.

"You know me. I was never big on self-preservation." Laura teases. "I'd probably be dead twenty-times over by now if it weren't for you."

"Tell me about it." Carmilla raises her eyebrow. "Speaking of, how do you feel with the locket broken?"

"You know when you sit on your leg too long and it gets all fuzzy? It's kind of like that, except all over." Laura admits.

"Could be worse." Carmilla sighs.

"Could be worse." Laura agrees.

"Where's the locket now?"

"J.P.'s been looking at it. Seeing if, you know, a little super glue would help. No luck yet." Laura relays. "Everyone's here, by the way. Have been for the past two days. Safety in numbers and such."

"Two days?" Carmilla rasps.

"Yeah. Apparently forced transformation takes a lot out of you." Laura murmurs, snuggling close. "I'm so happy you're awake, and coherent."

"Me too, Cupcake." Carmilla coos. "Hey Laura?"

"Yeah?"

"Kiss me." Carmilla requests softly. Laura smiles, leaning in slightly to close the distance between their lips.

Thankfully, no one interrupts them.

* * *

Carmilla slowly eases herself out of the bedroom, using Laura as support. She's starting to get her strength back, but that doesn't mean she won't use her lack of strength at the current moment as an excuse to lean against a cute girl.

When they enter the living room, everyone stops what they're doing and stands up, looking ready.

"Relax, guys. She's fine." Laura rolls her eyes.

"Are you sure? She won't, you know…" Kirsch starts, and then makes claws with his hands and hisses. Carmilla scowls.

"Only if you piss me off, beefcake." Carmilla drawls.

"Carmilla! Don't threaten our friends!" Laura berates. Carmilla just shrugs.

"Yeah, she's back to normal." Danny sighs, and everyone relaxes.

"Good. Now maybe you can start taking care of yourself, L." LaF comments. "You barely left Carmilla's side the past two days."

A flush spreads over Laura's features. "I… I had to make sure she'd wake up and be okay." Laura mutters. Carmilla smiles warmly at her, kissing her on the cheek.

"Did you skip some showers for me, creampuff?" Carmilla inquires.

"…Maybe." Laura admits. Carmilla nudges her.

"Go shower." Carmilla insists.

"But it's so hard to shower with a plastic bag on my arm!" Laura whines, and Carmilla raises her eyebrow. "Ugh. Fine."

Laura kisses Carmilla on the forehead and addresses the room.

"Everyone behave while I'm gone." Laura orders.

"Yes, ma'am." Carmilla gives a weak salute. Laura's fingers tangle with Carmilla's a moment, and she looks conflicted about leaving her. Eventually she gives in and she heads to the bathroom, snatching a plastic bag in frustration on the way there. "I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for causing her that much pain." Carmilla mutters once Laura's locked behind the door.

"It  _was_  a rather nasty break. Her ulna and radius were practically shattered. It was akin to doing a jigsaw puzzle during surgery. Not to mention all the puncture wounds. Sharp teeth, you know." J.P. relays. Carmilla stares at him, her face draining into a grey discolouration. He notices, and looks guilty. "Oh, but of course for her it's quite trivial. Thanks to her accelerated healing, I mean. Otherwise she would still be incapacitated."

"Thanks. I feel so much better." Carmilla mutters sarcastically.

"Look, you were a bitch and a half to deal with but even I can admit what happened wasn't your fault. I… know what it's like to lose control." Danny mumbles.

"Then you also understand the lack of sympathy I have for myself." Carmilla states. "That's why you disappeared after Mother was killed, correct? And then decided to take on this Reaper business by yourself? You wanted to make up for all the wrong-doings you committed under Mother's thrall."

Danny looks away, saying nothing. Carmilla nods slowly.

"I'm going to spend my eternity making it up to Laura." Carmilla adds sadly. Everyone looks at her with concern, but she shrugs it off. "Speaking of control, should I be worried you're living in a confined space with humans?"

"I have a handle on it." Danny promises, gesturing to a nearby mug. "I keep some blood on hand at all times and if I'm ever feeling particularly… restless, I'll go for a run."

"Besides, I'm keeping an eye on her." J.P. states.

"Why don't you give J.P. as much flack, anyway?" Danny accuses. "Shouldn't he be under a broken thrall as well?"

"Oh, no. J.P. was technically never under a thrall since he was a consciousness placed into a vamp body. He's fine as long as we don't starve him." LaF chimes in monotonously, not looking away from a currently very heated game of Mario Kart with Kirsch.

"There you go." Carmilla smirks, sauntering over to Danny. "Now, may I have the locket back?"

Danny stiffens. "I… uh…" She stammers.

"Don't play coy. I can hear it beneath your blouse." Carmilla glowers, holding out her hand. Danny sighs, reaching around to unclip it and pull it out.

"Oh, thank heavens. I had feared I had lost it." J.P. breathes in relief.

"I just… wanted to try it on." Danny mutters. "And I didn't feel comfortable that J.P. was trying to pump it with super glue."

"Well hand it over. You already had your chance at holding Laura's heart, Bear Grylls." Carmilla jeers. Danny glares, but spills the locket into Carmilla's hand. Her thumb runs gently along the crack, some glue residue still present. Then she slips it on, sliding it over her own heart where it belongs.

It'll never leave her chest again.

"Oh yeah. Danny, I had never seen you transform before. I always assumed you'd be a wolf or something." LaF comments. "I guess Kirsch's D-Bear nickname was pretty accurate."

"Hell yeah! Up top!" Kirsch exclaims, raising his hand. LaF leaves him hanging, letting his distraction lead to his character falling off some brightly-coloured race track.

"You thought I'd be a wolf?" Danny blinks.

"Am I the only one who wonders what our beasts would be? I'd be an owl, obviously. Perry would probably be a cute ferret or rabbit. Kirsch… some sort of puppy." LaF muses.

"What do you think Laura would be?" Carmilla questions curiously. LaF turns their attention away from the game to look at her with a grin.

"A lioness." LaF announces. Carmilla looks over to the bathroom, smiling. She wouldn't mind that.

Her thoughts were cut off by a sudden cheer from Kirsch.

"Woohoo! First place, baby! What a comeback!" Kirsch hollers.

"Oh, god damnit." LaF groans. Carmilla shakes her head.

"Is this all you lackwits have been doing?" Carmilla questions.

"It would appear so." J.P. admits. "Our conflict is that we can't exactly track down Reapers easily, so we're basically waiting on them to make the first move or for us to stumble upon a lead."

"We can relax a bit, though. Now that we know they need a vampire. Since Mattie's been out there warning vampires about the Reapers, I think they'll have a hard time. And now hopefully they know better than to mess with us." Danny explains.

"I see." Carmilla tilts her head at the screen. For a moment, she's relieved they can slow things down. "Alright. I call next game."

Several races later after trouncing the humans with vampire reflexes and finding the only real challenge was against J.P. or Danny, Laura finally emerges from the bathroom looking refreshed. Carmilla elects to hand her controller off and place Laura in her arms instead, lounging on the couch as they silently watch.

It's like they're all a big happy family again, save for Perry.

Sometimes happiness has an expiration date, however. Eventually J.P. approaches Carmilla and Laura, looking as nervous and fidgety as ever.

"Um, Miss. Hollis. I would… humbly request that I take a look at your dressings and how you're healing. I would hate to find out too late that your bones are failing to set properly and having to partake in a re-break." J.P. mumbles out. Laura cocks her head, studying him.

"Okay… yeah." Laura nods, detangling herself from Carmilla.

"I'll help." Carmilla offers, starting to get up as well. J.P.'s eyes go wide.

"Oh, my, no! That's… completely unnecessary. It's merely a simple check-up. Perhaps your time would be better directed in yet another jovial game?" J.P. suggests, seeming to be sweating a bit. Carmilla raises an eyebrow and looks at Laura, who just shrugs.

"I'm sure it won't take long." Laura states. Carmilla sighs, looking at the TV.

"Fine. But only if we find a different game. This one has grown rather dull." Carmilla mutters. Kirsch picks up a nearby cartridge.

"This one looks like it has some of the same characters, but like, you beat each other up." He explains. Carmilla eyes it curiously before nodding.

"Bring it on." She challenges.

As Carmilla prepares to trounce the others in another game, J.P. pulls Laura over to the corner of the apartment where Laura's work desk rests.

"Okay, J.P., what's up? You obviously don't want to just check on my health." Laura questions. J.P. sighs, his fingers twitching.

"You remember how you asked of me to, erm, keep tabs on that website?" J.P. asks. Laura nods. "Well, I did as you requested and I just checked. We seem to have received an… intriguing message. A worrying message."

Before Laura can question him further, he pulls up the page on the laptop, and Laura reads the wall of text. This time, they didn't even bother to use a pseudonym.

_Dear Ms. "Laurie" and Company,_

_It has come to our attention that you are not a cooperative group. We had sent a cluster of representatives to settle this conflict in a civil manner. You rejected our kindness and unleashed your wrath upon members of our organisation. Now, expect our wrath in turn. We are not fond of being disrespected. Due to your vampire companion's egregious behaviour and lack of complacency, we have decided to immediately seek out comeuppance. Yes, we have done our research. Countess Mircalla Karnstein, thrall of a rather prominent enemy we once had until they mysteriously disappeared approximately three years ago. No doubt the Countess aims to continue in the same path of her meddlesome saboteur of a sire. Of course, we are aware of another thrall close to Karnstein – one that we were able to track down quite easily as she wandered around spouting information about our organization. You see, you did not destroy all our reserves of special batwings. On one hand, this lets you off the hook – we have our vampire. On the other, I do pray you learn to live with yourselves and your decisions, at least until we destroy you all._

_Regards,  
Crypt_

Laura's blood runs cold as she reads the message, and it's practically ice when her mouse hovers over the attached image file.

It pulls up a picture of Mattie, eyes red and hooked up to a plethora of wires.

"Oh my god." Laura breathes.

"Miss Hollis, it is imperative this news be broken gently to Miss Karnstein." J.P. whispers to Laura. "If she loses control again, it could be catastrophic- oh, no pun intended, of course."

"What would be catastrophic?" Carmilla questions from behind them, who apparently trounced the others in a game in record time. Laura and J.P. jump and Laura tries to quickly maneuver herself in front of the screen, but she's not fast enough. "What the fluffy hell is  _that_?"

"Carmilla-" Laura trembles, but Carmilla pushes past her to the laptop. Laura watches as Carmilla as she reads, the desk cracking under the pressure of Carmilla's grip on the edges.

"Those  _bastards_." Carmilla spits, throwing a fist down on the desk. A chuck of wood flies off.

"Carmilla!" Laura cries out, reaching out for her and grasping at her arm. "I need you to stay calm."

"Stay calm?  **Stay calm**?" Carmilla snaps. By now everyone in the apartment has noticed the outburst and is looking over. Danny stands at the ready. "They have my  _sister_. They're doing awful things to her. She could be… she could be…" Her eyes grow dark and her voice comes out as a growl. " _ **I'm going to rip out all their throats**_."

"Carm!" Laura cups Carmilla's face. "Just – look at me, alright? I know. It's awful. They're going to pay. But you need to try to keep your emotions in check. If you don't – you could shift again, and-"

"Why the hell not?" Carmilla glowers. "It worked pretty well against them last time."

"I can't see you like that again!" Laura cries. "You can't let the beast take over. You  _can't_. I… I can't handle it. I can't lose you like that."

Laura's fingers curl around Carmilla's arm, and Carmilla's eyes trail to the arm pinned to Laura's side. She feels her rage start to ebb, and she closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. She waits until her fury is just a low rumble in the pit of her stomach. Laura's hand crawls up to the back of Carmilla's head, pulling her forward to rest against Laura's forehead.

"Okay?" Laura whispers. Carmilla swallows, nodding slowly. Her eyes open and look into Laura's, which are soft and gentle. She finds it even easier to keep calm when Laura looks at her like that.

"You have a talent to tame the beast, Cupcake." Carmilla murmurs. Laura bites her lip, leaning up to kiss Carmilla on the cheek.

"It's all you. I'm just… your cheerleader." Laura sighs. Carmilla slinks her arms around Laura's neck.

"My hero." Carmilla corrects softly, earning a smile from Laura. "And now we have to be heroes for Mattie."

Laura's brow creases, growing serious. She whips around, looking at everyone.

"New objective! Operation rescue Mattie!" Laura declares.

"I mean, that's a nice thought, but do we really need to rescue the murderous vampire who's tried to kill us all more than once?" LaF questions.

"Whether you like her or not, if they're able to use her to create the ultimate blast, we're all doomed." Carmilla glares.

"Save for us vampires, of course." J.P. adds.

"There are other ways to be doomed." Carmilla mutters, looking over at Laura. Laura takes notice, and slips Carmilla's hand into hers.

"Besides, Mattie is one of us. She's our people." Laura states.

"Okay. Point taken." LaF concedes.

"So how do we do this?" Danny questions. "We still have the same problem. We don't know where they are, and even if we did, we don't know how to defeat them. Not unless Carmilla transforms again."

"That's off the table." Laura mutters. "We'll… we'll figure something out. We have some time. Remember, they wanted Carm because they thought she'd be weaker and willing."

"I'm certain Mattie isn't making it easy for them." Carmilla nods. "Still, I'd rather not leave her with those creeps for too long."

"Oh, oh! Maybe we need one of those, like, miracle things." Kirsch suggests.

"A miracle? Seriously? That's your plan?" Danny rolls her eyes. Kirsch looks defeated.

At that moment, there's a knock at the door.

"Really not the time." Laura groans, walking over to the door. "Probably a concerned neighbour who heard Carmilla breaking my desk."

She swings the door open and is met with the bright and smiling face of someone she  _definitely_  did not expect.

"P-Perry?" Laura gawks.

"What?!" LaF exclaims, jumping up.

"Greetings!" Perry beams, stepping by a dumbfounded Laura into the apartment. Perry looks around, a frown creasing her face. "Oh my, so dirty."

"Uh…" Laura gapes, stepping back and closing the door. LaF sprints over.

"Perr, what the hell? How are you here? You should be at the facility!" LaF exclaims. Perry gives them a calm look.

"The day was bleak. Hermes was called and the lightning of truth stuck from Zeus. Took the lightning. Flames licked at the corners of the confines to my soul. Like a rat, I skittered. Hermes descended." Perry states. Everyone stares at her in bewilderment.

"Can we get a translation?" Carmilla groans.

"I… think she just said… she had to deliver a message to us… so she set a fire as a distraction to escape…" LaF says slowly.

"The lightning of truth struck you, too." Perry beams.

"Oh, god, Perry, they'll never let you back in now." LaF whines, putting their face in their hands.

"Well, wait, this is good. I mean, it's not good that Perry's an arsonist now, but she does still have The Dean's knowledge. We would have no idea that it was the Reapers without her." Laura points out. Perry looks at Laura and nods.

"Day is bleak. Purge is at hand. Must be stopped." Perry affirms.

"Well, great. How do we stop it?" Danny questions.

"That with which you feared. You can take from, draw it out. Speak with the forces of the Utmost High and gain insight. Become all. Take all. Do all. Clean the bad before the bad can clean the good." Perry reveals.

Again, bewildered silence.

"LaF?" Carmilla requests.

"Listen, I've been trying to figure out Perry's, uh, speech impediment for three years, but it's still not always clear to me." LaF sighs.

"I'm more confused than usual." Kirsch declares. Perry's eyes narrow and she releases a frustrated sigh. She then storms toward Laura until she's up against her face-to-face – much closer than Laura's girlfriend was probably comfortable with.

"The gate." Perry glowers in a certain desperation. "The gate must be opened."

"The- the seventh gate?" Laura gawks. "The same gate we fought so hard to keep The Dean from opening? The one that cost Danny's humanity, the life of my dad, Kirsch's leg, Carmilla's panther, my heart, and your  _mind_?"

"One in the same." Perry nods solemnly.

"The Dean did want to open it to gain some sort of ultimate power. Maybe whatever that is, it could be enough to defeat the Reapers?" LaF suggests. Laura bites her lip.

"Maybe… then… it might be worth it…" Laura mumbles. Carmilla's eyes bulge and she takes Laura's arm.

"Laura. Bedroom. Now." Carmilla growls, dragging her through the doorway.

"Is this  _really_  the time?" Danny calls after them. Carmilla ignores her, slamming the door shut.

"I don't like this." Carmilla mutters.

"And you think I do? Remember that grocery list of pain I just recited? But, we're kind of backed against a corner here. It might be worth a shot." Laura whispers.

"So you're telling me that even though my Mother is three-year-old dust she  _still_  gets what she wants?" Carmilla hisses, and points towards the living room. " _That_  is Mother's vessel out there. A vessel that, may I remind you, we very sloppily exorcised. It's not out of the realm of possibility that she's still somewhere in there pulling strings."

"Okay, yeah, maybe. I thought of that." Laura agrees. "But here's our issue. We're facing an apocalypse here. If you're right and your Mother is really just gearing up for a different one, then we're in the same place as we were before anyway." She explains. "But if we do get the power to defeat the Reapers then… it's worth the risk. And this might be our only chance to save Mattie."

Carmilla looks away, her jaw clenched.

"I still don't like it." Carmilla mutters. "But I see your point."

Laura cups Carmilla's cheek. "I won't do it if you're not on board." She murmurs. Carmilla sighs, shaking her head.

"Hey, if you want to go out in a blaze of glory, I'll be right with you, Cupcake." Carmilla breathes. Laura nods solemnly, giving Carmilla a gentle one-armed hug before heading back to the living room.

"Okay. Let's go back to Silas." Laura announces.

"This isn't going to end well." Danny groans, but Perry is beaming. Kirsch pumps his fist in the air.

"Woo! What did I tell you! A miracle!" He exclaims.

* * *

One very expensive last-minute red-eye to Styria, the group find themselves back in familiar territory – except in the form of a giant crater. Silas had folded into itself after The Dean was defeated, leaving the Angler Fish crater to crumble and take over the little valley they had called home for a few years. It resembled a canyon more than anything.

So, of course, it took a fair amount of time to find the library – whose door decided to just appear in the face of the rock wall.

"Hi, library. We're back." Laura sighs, putting a hand on the cold walls. She feels a vibration emanate from it, as if a returned greeting.

She looks toward the center floor of the entrance and sees a particular part of the hardwood stained a deep red. She pales a bit, unpleasant memories of Carmilla ripping out her heart flooding her mind. Carmilla puts a comforting arm around her.

"Home, sweet home." Carmilla comments.

"Yeah." Laura shudders. She remembers a time she swore she would never come back.

"This way." LaF guides them past the shelves until they get to a shelf up against the far wall. They tug on a book and the shelf slides to the side. "Neat, huh? Like a movie."

An almost ethereal golden glow shines from within the hidden room, emanating from a sword leaning against the wall.

"The Sword of Hastur." Danny breathes. Carmilla walks forward and takes it at the hilt. She turns to Danny with a smirk.

"You're not going to get it from me this time, either." Carmilla teases, earning a scowl from Danny.

"Okay, now we just have to find the gate." Laura muses.

"We could just use that tunnel that conveniently opened up." J.P. points, incredulously. They look down the tunnel, where they can see an eerie red glow. Carmilla shakes her head.

"This library sure is a helpful son of a bitch." Carmilla sighs.

"Well, that's good, right? I mean, the library has always been a bro, and if our bro wants us to open the gate, then it can't be bad. Right?" Kirsch asks.

"Yeah. Right." Laura sighs, following the path. It doesn't do much to settle Carmilla's fears.

They follow the tunnel until they reach the centre of the pit, seeing the arches lined along it. Six arches.

There's a seventh arch that's covered by some sort of red force field – a shimmering gateway of energy. Laura puts her hand on the hilt over top of Carmilla's.

"I should go through." Laura states. "Nobody else should have to do this."

"You're not going without me, creampuff." Carmilla raises her eyebrow, and Laura nods.

"We'll… we'll go together." Laura murmurs.

"Blaze of glory, right?" Carmilla questions.

"Only one may pass." Perry perks up, and it's the first thing she's said the entire trip. Laura requested that J.P. and Danny keep an eye on her, just in case.

"What?" Laura questions. Perry keeps a very prim posture.

"The gate will only admit one." Perry reaffirms. Carmilla and Laura look at each other.

"Alright, creampuff, see you in a bit." Carmilla sighs, turning toward the gate. Laura reaches out, stopping her.

"It should still be me." Laura claims. "If you get unimaginable power and then lose control again, it… it won't be good."

"Laura-" Carmilla warns.

"I'm the one who dragged everyone into this! I should be the one to end it!" Laura argues.

"I'm not letting you go in there alone." Carmilla glowers.

"Well, I'm the only invincible one here." Laura states.

"And if you get obliterated in there?" Carmilla questions darkly. Laura softens, stepping close.

"Then, if I'm not back in a few hours," Laura's hand traces down over Carmilla's chest, resting over the locket. "You know what to do."

"No." Carmilla grits her teeth.

"Um, there are other people here?" Danny calls out. "I'd go in there but, Laura has a good point about losing control and I admit I still don't have that fully grasped." She mutters. "I… I vote Laura."

"I, too, vote Miss. Hollis." J.P. adds.

"Laura." LaF nods.

"Little nerd hottie."

"You assholes are really going to throw her under the bus?" Carmilla growls.

"I'm volunteering, Carmilla." Laura states. Carmilla shakes her head.

"What if I'm not onboard with this decision?" Carmilla whispers.

"Carm, I'll… I'll come back to you." Laura promises. Carmilla meets her eyes, and she feels her resolve break.

"You better." Carmilla breathes, her grip loosening on the sword. Laura takes it, giving Carmilla a gentle kiss.

"I love you." Laura coos.

"I'll tell you when you get back." Carmilla mutters. Laura smiles sadly, turning to walk toward the gate.

She raises the sword high and thrusts it into the barrier. Tendrils of energy start to shoot out and red lightning flashes across the cavern. The rest of the group dives to the ground as the sword dissolves, followed by Laura being sucked through the barrier.

The light show ceases, leaving the cavern silent with only the light hum of the barrier left whirring. Carmilla stands up, rushing to the barrier.

"Laura?!" She exclaims, placing her hands on it. It seems as strong as ever, and now her girlfriend is trapped behind it. Carmilla bows her head, a few tears escaping her eyes. "You better come back, Cupcake."

On the other side, Laura painfully hits the rocky ground.

"Ugh. Could've been a little more gentle, couldn't you?" Laura groans, standing up and cradling her already injured arm. She looks around, seeing an empty dead-end to the cave. She's about to curse up and down when she hears a giggle from the shadows.

"The Utmost High do not concern themselves much with comfort." A light voice says.

A young woman steps out, wearing a white dress with long, blonde hair. Laura gapes when she sees the prominent mole on the woman's face.

"You're…" Laura trails off, too shocked to finish the thought. The woman gives Laura warm smile.

"I'm pleased to see they sent you through instead of Carmilla. I… honestly still don't know what I'd say to her if I ever met her again." She sighs, looking guilty. Laura takes in a deep breath, swallowing hard and garnering the courage to finish her question.

"You're Ell, aren't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Throwback Thursday, am I right? Also, Carmilla is a secret gamer. Pass It on.
> 
> I just wanted to express my deep appreciation to everyone who has commented/left kudos/read this in general so far. It means a lot.


	14. Dark Willow

It was so surreal seeing Ell in front of her right now. Laura had only seen her in dreams, drowning in blood and crying for help – and then once before as a misty figure in the angler fish's light. But this is the most vivid she's ever seen her. It's almost as if Laura could reach out at touch her, and she'd be there.

But that's not possible, is it?

"Careful. You'll make me think you'll be unfaithful to Carmilla, the way you're looking at me right now." Ell gives Laura a sad smile. "The last thing she needs is another love stabbing her in the back."

Anger starts to bubble up inside Laura and all questions at the front of her mind were pushed aside. Her expression fixes into a glare.

"You betrayed her." Laura seethes. "All she did was love you and try to protect you, and you gave her up. She rotted in a coffin for nearly a century."

Ell seems to grow a bit flustered. "I was young and scared. Being told this strange girl who had quite literally waltzed into my life and had… bewitched me with her demeanor and… bone structure was in fact a predatory monster, I think I acted accordingly."

"I found out she was a vampire. I may have practiced some caution but I gave her a chance, damnit. And I fell for her. I've never given up on her. And she's proven nothing less than being  _completely_ devoted to me." Laura glowers. Ell stiffens.

"You can scold me all you like. I'm aware of my mistakes, but it's not like I wasn't being manipulated. I'm sure you're aware of how… persuasive that Lilita wench could be, are you not?" Ell questions, causing Laura's resolve to fade a little.

"Yeah. I'm aware." Laura mutters. Ell takes a stoic stance.

"And thanks to you, she was not able to enter this most sacred of places." Ell gestures around them. Laura looks, still seeing nothing more interesting than rocks, save for Ell.

"The dead end of a cave? This is a sacred place?" Laura questions. "Is this all there is? Is it some place where someone can drudge up a piece of the past and talk with it like some sort of Mirror of Erised? What kind of bowtruckle is this?"

"I'm afraid we don't receive much pop culture in the afterlife, so I'm not sure what you mean." Ell eyes Laura curiously. "But I am merely a messenger."

"Why you? Why are you here? You were absorbed by the angler fish. I  _saw_  you." Laura interrogates.

"And then Lophiiformes was destroyed. When it was, centuries of souls were released into the world with nowhere to go. Are you aware what happens when there are thousands of uncounted for souls?" Ell asks.

"I know the results are apparently disastrous." Laura relays.

"That would be an understatement." Ell comments. "The universe likes a certain… organization between the living and the dead. When they aren't filed properly, the universe will do its best to compensate. Picture the power vacuum effect here shortly after you crushed Lilita's body and denied Lophiformes its sustenance. Now picture that on a global scale."

"That would be a lot of SNN updates." Laura groans, and Ell raises an eyebrow. Laura shakes off the stressful memories. "That still doesn't explain while you're here."

"With all the souls loose and on the verge of causing disaster, the Utmost High distributed us amongst themselves in order to try and keep control. This is their world as well, after all. Of course, it was a on-time deal. They couldn't replicate that again, as souls not sacrificed to them are... incompatible, for the most part." Ell explains.

"The Utmost High?" Laura inquires. That's the third time she's heard that.

"Gods. The same group Lophiiformes was a part of." Ell reveals. "Although not very well liked by the other Utmost. After all, Lophiiformes was an angry, gluttonous being that was too overcome by its own appetite to even escape from its dwelling once it was finally denied the sacrifices."

"And now you're here because…" Laura goads.

"Because I am the most familiar to you." Ell smiles. "The Utmost have the same intentions in mind – they do not wish to see the world slip into chaos. The destruction of humanity would be… unfortunate for many of them. After all, humans make the most dedicated followers."

"So they'll help?" Laura feels herself fill with hope. Ell purses her lips.

"Don't mistake the Utmost to be benevolent. They're merely concerned with their own preservation. They would have, after all, allowed Lilita in here had she succeeded." Ell warns. "She too had the goal of ending the Dark Shepard's' plot. Corvae was an organization of vampires that were dedicated to the cause."

"They were trying to stop the Reapers?" Laura gapes. "And… and I stopped them… but, no. They killed my father. I… I refuse to believe they were the good guys."

Ell cocks her head to the side. "Dear girl, have you not yet learned that there is no such thing as truly good or truly bad?" She questions, causing Laura to flush. "Do not think of Lilita or Corvae to be benevolent, either."

"I have good intentions." Laura states.

"They all do." Ell sighs, shaking her head. She takes a step forward. "Did you know what to expect, stepping in here?"

"Ultimate power?" Laura asks.

"And you truly believe you can possess such a thing and keep yourself uncorrupted?" Ell inquires. Laura freezes.

"I… Yes." She mumbles.

"So you wish to take it on?" Ell takes another step closer.

"That's it? You'll just… give it to me?" Laura questions.

"You entered this sacred space. Your intentions, whether well-meaning or not, align with the Utmost. You will receive all the power you desire." Ell explains. Another step forward. Laura tenses further.

"And… it'll be enough to stop the Reapers?"

"Whatever you desire." Ell reaches out, but Laura steps back.

"What's the catch?" Laura's eyes narrow. Ell retracts her hand with a smile on her face.

"Dear girl, the power itself is the catch." Ell states. "You truly believe Lilita would stop at the Dark Shepherds when she contained this much power? Would anyone? Would you?"

Laura's fist clenches. "I'm not The Dean. I'm not just anyone." Laura mumbles.

"Of course. You're certainly special, and I don't just mean in the way you live and breathe without a heart beating beneath your bosom. After all, Carmilla chose you." Ell observes.

"Is that some sort of vain statement? She chose you, too." Laura accuses.

"But I wasn't enough to handle her." Ell sighs. "You are. And perhaps she can handle you."

Laura looks back at the barrier. It's opaque. She can't see Carmilla or her friends through it.

"So, this is one of those 'with great power comes great responsibility' moments, huh?" Laura looks back, pulling her hand through her hair in nervousness. This would change her life forever. She already thought she went through enough changes to last an eternity.

"If you wish to protect those you love…" Ell reaches out again. Laura bites her lip. This was why she was here, wasn't it?

And then she takes Ell's hand.

It's like a rush of electricity. She feels her entire being vibrate. Her muscles pulse, and she feels light – like she just ran 10km without a break. The feeling becomes indescribable. Overwhelming. She can feel herself crying. Or laughing. She doesn't know.

Even though she has been for three years, this is the first time she truly feels invincible.

Just when she feels about ready to burst, the electricity fades and she falls to the floor. She feels the power coursing through her, but the bursting feeling doesn't fade. It's like she's a bottle of Coke and Ell just placed a Mentos inside of her.

Her fingers claw at the ground and she lets out several strained grunts, desperate to keep it contained. A low rumble starts to fill the cave, pebbles skittering across the ground at the motions.

"Control it!" Ell barks out, and the instructions barely reach Laura's ears. "Do you really want to collapse this cave on all your friends? Control it!"

"I… I can't…" Laura grits her teeth. Tears spill from her eyes.

Maybe she wasn't so special after all.

The tremors become increasingly more intense. The struggle is becoming unbearable. She pictures Carmilla and what she would say right now.

_C'mon, Cupcake. You can do better than that._

Laura forces her eyes open, and she sees the ground shifting beneath her. Rocks were starting to crumble from the walls. She focuses her energy – everything she has left – and pleads with the earth to stop.

She  _commands_  it.

The tremors lessen, until eventually the cave once again grows silent. Laura lays there, breathing deeply, afraid to move.

"Quite the power, isn't it?" Ell finally comments.

"Did I… do that?" Laura pants.

"You were loaded with a lot of power at once. It's not surprising you found it difficult to contain." Ell states. "But you did well."

"I'm scared." Laura admits, her voice weak. This was too much.

"As you should be." Ell announces. "I warned you. Controlling this amount of power is just half of the struggle."

" _Great_." Laura groans. She still feels like she could pop at any moment.

"And once you do, the world opens up in front of you." Ell continues. "Stand up."

Laura doesn't react right away. She catches her breath for a few moments, and then shakily rises to her feet. She's amazed she has any energy left at all. It feels like all her will-power is going into making sure her newfound abilities don't accidentally collapse the cave.

"Let's test this out, shall we?" Ell gestures to Laura's broken arm, still in the sling. "Focus on what you want, and then make it so."

Laura's eyes lock with Ell's a moment, an incredulous expression across her face. But, well, she's experienced crazier things.

Laura hovers her good hand over the broken arm, and pictures the bone and the skin reforming. She drives that image forward, and to her surprise, a ripple travels across her arm. Any pain radiating from it has now vanished.

Quickly, Laura rips the sling away and unravels it. Underneath is smooth skin, and the bone feels stronger than ever as she flexes her fingers. Her eyes widen.

"Holy Holyhead Harpies." Laura gapes, and almost drops her restraint on her powers from the shock.

"Congratulations, Laura Hollis." Ell smiles. "You are now a demigod."

* * *

Carmilla immediately regrets letting Laura go through the gate.

"She shouldn't have gone alone." Carmilla growls, pacing back and forth. "We could've at least tied a rope around her waist – given her a fucking pager – something!"

"Um, do keep in mind not to let your levels of emotion enter into dangerous territory." J.P. reminds her.

"Yeah. Don't go all corrupted again." LaF adds.

"I'm fine." Carmilla says through gritted teeth. "I'm just-" She looks toward the barrier.

"Worried. We all are." Danny sighs.

"Anything could be behind there." Carmilla mutters, and then storms towards Perry. "Do you have any idea?"

Perry's eyes brighten up. "Unimaginable power."

"Well that doesn't mean much. Unimaginable power to Nanny McPhee over here could mean a Swiffer Wet Jet for all I know." Carmilla scoffs.

"Laura can handle it. She's like, a BAMF and stuff." Kirsch assures her.

"Exactly. Have a little faith." LaF states. Carmilla sinks down along the cavern's wall.

"My faith in Laura is what made me allow her to go through in the first place." Carmilla sighs. "It's all that's keeping me sane right now."

"I'm sure that Miss Hollis will return momentarily." J.P. claims.

"Maybe with a  _dragon_!" Kirsch chimes in. Everyone stares at him, and he shrinks. "Or not."

"As long as she comes back out at all, that's all I care about." Carmilla snaps.

"Just, you know, it'd be a bonus if she came back with a solution to the whole Reaper problem, too." LaF points out.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Danny sighs.

"And have faith." Carmilla mumbles, looking down at the locket.

Carmilla becomes antsier by the moment, but about fifteen minutes after Laura passed through the barrier, she senses a shift.

She switches from antsy to fearful. Danny and J.P. perk up as well, sensing the sudden growth of power. It's immeasurable.

But what worries Carmilla most of all is the locket.

"Something's wrong." Carmilla rushes out quickly, clutching the locket. The heartbeat is slowly gaining momentum. She stands up, going to the face of the barrier. The locket was practically shaking with the speed of Laura's heartbeat. "Laura?!"

"Does anyone else feel that?" Danny grimaces.

"Feel what?" Kirsch questions.

"That… power." J.P. looks nervous. Perry looks ecstatic.

"Unimaginable power." She breathes.

"Uh, Carmilla, I don't think it was a Swiffer." LaF calls out. Carmilla's focused on the locket, the heartrate far beyond what any human could handle – and yet it wasn't giving out.

At first she thinks the vibrations of the locket are so intense that she's imagining the cavern shaking, but Kirsch's cry proves otherwise.

"Earthquake!" He exclaims.

"Shit. We have to get out of here." Danny looks around them at the crumbling rocks.

"I'm not leaving Laura." Carmilla grits her teeth.

"Do you think Laura would really want you to get yourself killed waiting for her?" LaF barks out over the cracking of the cave, trying to keep their balance.

"Laura's not here!" Carmilla growls. "Which is why I'm not leaving. But you should go. No sense in all of us dying here."

Kirsch tries to keep his balance, but his leg causes him to stumble. Danny catches him and throws him over her shoulder.

"Your funeral, fangface." Danny nods. LaF helps to guide a giddy Perry away and J.P. gives Carmilla a conflicted look before following the rest.

Carmilla turns back to the gate, trying to keep her own balance as the cave crumbles and becomes further unstable. But she's not going to leave. She's not.

She jumps out of the way of a particularly large boulder and hammers her fist against the barrier.

"Laura! God damnit, Laura! Can you hear me? Get your pretty little ass out here  _right_  now!" Carmilla seethes. The barrier erupts in a red spark and it throws Carmilla back. She hits the ground hard, losing her bearings for a moment.

She lay there, groaning and resigning herself to her fate. It was a good life, she supposes. At least, the last few years of her life were pretty nice.

A cloud of rocky dust rains over her, and then after what seems like forever, the trembling stops. The cave falls silent, and Carmilla lets out an exasperated breath. She pushes herself up and carefully approaches the barrier again, looking it over.

"What trouble did you get yourself into this time, creampuff?" Carmilla questions, squinting and trying to see through the red glow. No such luck.

She stands there, waiting, tapping her foot impatiently.

_Have faith_

The barrier flashes a moment, and a small body falls through – right into Carmilla's arms.

"Unff, Laura…" Carmilla grunts, helping Laura up. Carmilla can't even describe her relief at having her girlfriend back in her arms. Laura slowly looks up at Carmilla, her face aghast. "Are you okay? What happened in there?"

"I…" Laura trails off. "I think I found a way to defeat the Reapers?"

Carmilla's eyebrows shoot up. "Great. How?"

"By… unleashing a demigod on them?" Laura suggests. Carmilla gives her an incredulous look. She must've lost her mind in there.

"Okay… what 'demigod' is that?" Carmilla questions.

"Um…" Laura looks down, almost seeming nervous. "Me?"

Carmilla stares at Laura, and it dawns on her that the arm she had apparently chewed on was now miraculously fine.

"Your arm…" Carmilla breathes.

"Yeah. I, uh, fixed it. I guess." Laura looks at it, twisting it around. Carmilla cups Laura's face, forcing their eyes to meet.

"You're telling me… you're a demigod now?" Carmilla gapes. Laura bites her lip.

"Here. Let me show you." Laura offers, stepping back. Carmilla flinches when she holds her hand over Carmilla's chest. Laura removes it, and Carmilla looks down.

The crack in the locket has disappeared.

"Oh god, that feels so much better." Laura groans, noticing the fuzzy feeling fading away. "I was so tired of feeling like the human equivalent of a snowy TV channel."

"How did you…" Carmilla gawks. It takes a lot to surprise Carmilla, and god damn she was flabbergasted.

"I don't know. I just kind of want it, and then it happens?" Laura lifts her arms. "I guess I could technically just… put my heart back in my chest. I don't know. I don't really know the extent of my new powers." She bites her lip. "But I'm fine with you looking after my heart a little longer."

"Laura… this is crazy." Carmilla blinks.

"I… yeah…" Laura mutters, tears filling her eyes. "I was just  _finally_  coming to terms with the fact that I didn't have a heart, and now I'm… a demigod? I mean I guess it's nice having a label now and I know I always wanted to  _be_ Harry Potter but – but you have no idea how much this power  _feels_ , Carm, I-"

Her words catch in her throat and Carmilla pulls her close. "Hey. You're overwhelmed. That's okay. This is… pretty overwhelming."

Just then, they hear a crack above them and the unstable cavern starts to collapse a little. Boulders and sharp rocks descend towards them and before Carmilla can pull Laura out of the way, Laura raises her arms and the rocks blast away. She holds her arms up a little longer, and the cave seems to stabilize itself. No more cracks. No more danger.

She slowly lowers her arms, starring at them with some sort of mix of awe and pride. Carmilla smirks at her.

"My girlfriend, the demigod." Carmilla nods. "Guess you don't need me to look after you anymore, huh?"

Laura looks up at her, beaming.

"Yeah, I guess not, right?" Laura grins. Carmilla feels a pang of regret.

That kind of hurt.

"Laura…" Carmilla takes her by the waist and ignores her sudden bout of inadequacy. "I suppose I owe you an 'I love you', huh?"

Laura smiles, leaning up to kiss Carmilla softly. The cavern erupts in rumbles once again and Laura rips away from her.

"Fiddlesticks." Laura curses. "Sorry, I… I don't exactly have a handle on my powers yet. I'm concentrating  _really_  hard to not utterly destroy everything around me right now and kissing you is… a really big distraction."

Carmilla's brow furrows. "That sounds… unpleasant." She mutters.

"Apparently it's part of the price I have to pay." Laura huffs.

"Of course." Carmilla rolls her eyes. "So we can't kiss right now?"

"Probably not a good idea."

"I suppose that takes sex off the table, too?"

"Carmilla." Laura smiles, rolling her eyes. She wraps her arms around Carmilla gently. "We just have to wait until I'm a bit more used to having this much power."

"Great, because I'm curious of what it'd be like to sleep with a demigod…" Carmilla purrs. Laura shakes her head, giggling.

"That'll have to wait." She grows serious. "First, I have to handle the Reapers."

"Do your powers happen to come with a GPS tracker?" Carmilla questions.

"No, but…" Laura gives Carmilla a sheepishly. "I know  _exactly_ how to contact them."

* * *

_To Whom It May Concern,_

_Recently we were approached with an opportunity to have a business agreement between this website and another organization, but we turned it down due to conflicting views on both sides. Since then, new developments have come to our attention and we would like to renegotiate. This will include us offering up our own subject for willing participation in your studies in return for a certain participant who may be making it difficult for you. We would like to meet at your HQ. We just want this to be over._

_\- Inhuman Interest_

That was the post Laura made as soon as they got back home to their apartment. Crypt, being as prompt as ever, sends a response within two hours.

_We are pleased to hear of your change of "heart", so to speak. It has been a rather meddlesome past few days. You may receive your second chance._

An address is tied in with the short message. J.P. Googles it immediately.

"Interesting." J.P. muses. "This is the address of the largest skyscraper in the city. I can see it from my own office. This states it's a large law firm."

"I guess they need some sort of cover, right?" Laura sighs. "At least it's not a warehouse."

"Okay, but it's not like they're going to come quietly." Danny hugs herself. "Trust me. They might not look like much but they have… ways to fight back."

"I have a plan." Carmilla states. "I know some of Mattie's contacts. If she was really raising awareness about The Reapers, then there's a bunch of angry vampires out there waiting for a fight."

"Are you sure they'll listen to you? I mean, you still don't have your panther, unless you count the hellcat." Danny points out. Carmilla and Laura share a glance. They're both pretty sure Carmilla's safe from becoming corrupted again with the locket fixed, which is a relief to Carmilla. She can get angry again.

"They can either listen to me or waste away when they find their food stock running low. Their choice." Carmilla shrugs.

"Dope. Vampire army. Count me in." Kirsch nods.

"Not a chance." Danny snarls.

"Oh, come on. I can be like… a distracting… a disk track…" Kirsch rambles off.

"A distraction?" Laura questions.

"Yes!" Kirsch exclaims. "You can't stop me from helping out."

"We might actually need LaF along, so one more human can't hurt." Laura claims. Danny rolls her eyes.

"Fine, but if you have me saving your ass the entire time, I'll kill you myself." Danny sneers. Kirsch seems unperturbed, raising his hand.

"Up top!" He grins. Danny rolls her eyes again, and Kirsch slaps his own hand.

"And I'll help anyway you need me to, but what about Perry?" LaF questions. Everyone looks over to Perry, who is furiously dusting and humming It's A Small World softly.

"…She can probably stay here." Laura grimaces.

"Agreed." LaF nods. "And what if it goes bad for us? Last time kind of went south very fast."

"Then it's a good thing we have a demigod on our side this time." Carmilla shrugs.

"Yeah. Demigod. Sure." LaF raises their eyebrow, which mirrors the incredulous responses the rest of the group had when told of Laura's new status. She didn't feel like proving herself. They'd see soon enough.

"Trust me. Those Reapers have no chance." Laura looks down at her trembling hands, her voice low and menacing. Carmilla eyes her with concern, but brushes it off.

"Uh, okay." LaF nods slowly. "Just in case, I'm going to order Chinese. Last meal and all that."

* * *

They find themselves in front of the skyscraper, their army of vampires behind them. Fourteen had heeded the call. That's all they needed. They just had to buy some time.

Despite being considered an outcast without her beast, Carmilla commanded them masterfully. Laura had never been prouder.

She walks hand in hand with her girlfriend into the building.

The interior is large, marble, clean. Pretty much what they expected. It's also empty. Not what they expected.

The elevator dings on the other side, and slowly opens to reveal yet another man with white hair and violet eyes. He shares similar features to the man Carmilla had killed at the warehouse, except with seemingly aged facial features and longer hair. He also carries a cane, which Laura can swear she hears Kirsch mutter about how he wishes his looked as cool.

"Ah, welcome." He opens his arms, stepping out of the elevator. A vampire in the back snarls angrily, but Laura holds up her arm to silence them. The Reaper notices. "A human who commands vampires. You certainly are a curious one."

"We just have aligned goals." Laura mutters darkly.

"And I'm assuming these aren't all the willing participants you mentioned in that post on that website of yours?" The Reaper asks, tilting his head with that stupidly pleasant smile.

"We are here to prevent your plans, vile one!" A heavily-accented vampire shouts.

"I figured as much." The Reaper sighs. "I so hoped we could settle our differences. Oh well."

He holds out his hand, which Laura and Carmilla notice a batwing dangling from, and he snaps.

The room fills with those same iridescent purple flames. When they clear, a dozen of Reapers surround them, all with batwings that make every vampire double-over in discomfort. What's more worrying is the monsters with them – monsters made of human limbs.

"Those… monstrosities again…" Danny groans, and Kirsch has an expression of recognition.

"Yes, you there. Red-headed vampire. I know you. You've been poking around for a while. You're familiar with my pets, aren't you?" He gestures toward one of the monsters, which makes a garbled sound. Laura can barely look at any of them. "The by-product of failed experiments early on. When the bodies and souls weren't fully destroyed, this is what came of them. As I said, they make good companions despite their lack of pleasant aesthetics."

"Cool." LaF views the monsters with awe. Laura shoots them an incredulous look and they blush. "Uh, I mean, gross."

"So you see, although I admire your tenacious attitudes, there is no chance you can stop us. And this time, we will simply take Mircalla by force." The Reaper grins. Laura squeezes Carmilla's hand, who is hunched over and panting from the amount of batwings around them.

"I noticed you've got a pretty good snap there." Laura comments, raising her hand. "Want to see mine?"

Laura pictures all the batwings around her in her mind, and snaps her fingers. Yelps erupt from all the Reapers as sparks sizzle from their wrists, incinerating the bracelets within seconds. The Reaper with the long hair shakes the flames off his burnt wrist, glancing at Laura with wide eyes.

"You…!" He exclaims. All the vampires, now free from the batwings, crouch down ready for a fight.

"Dude, little nerd just got super OP." Kirsch announces. The main Reaper grits his teeth.

"Attack!" He orders, shuffling back into the elevator.

Chaos ensues as The Reapers, monsters, and vampires all lunge at each other. Carmilla pulls Laura down, ducking from the flying bodies above them. Laura looks around quickly. Danny and J.P. are already handling their own against a limb monster. Kirsch is successfully fending off a Reaper with his fists. Good.

"LaF, come with us!" Laura calls out. LaF, who had looked ready to join the fray a second ago, looks at Laura and Carmilla and nods.

They make their way to the other side of the room slowly, trying to dodge the combat. A limb monster jumps in front of them, letting out a horrifying growl. Carmilla cries out, jumping on it and trying to drag it away.

"Carmilla! Get out of the way!" Laura shouts. Carmilla looks up at her.

"What?!" Carmilla groans, trying to hold on.

"Just do it!" Laura orders. Carmilla lets out a frustrated grunt and jumps off. Laura raises her hand, and the monsters turns into a red paste on the ground.

"Jesus Christ." LaF gapes.

"Laura Hollis." Laura corrects. "Come on."

Carmilla once again looks at Laura with concern as they head to the elevator. She hadn't even hesitated. Carmilla knew Laura. She knew she'd normally be torn up about the fact that those monsters used to be pieces of humans. But she didn't bat an eye.

The elevator closes around them, leaving the sound of the chaos behind. Laura hits the button for the top floor, and the elevator begins its ascent.

"Okay, so if you can just destroy everything with a single thought, why don't you just do that?" Carmilla questions. Laura shoots Carmilla a look that seems to have a hint of annoyance to it.

"Just because I can doesn't mean I should." Laura states. "Killing all the Reapers won't solve anything. There will be nothing to remove the souls from this world, and trust me, we don't want to deal with that."

Carmilla lets out a sigh. At least Laura's still thinking clearly.

"Alright. What's the plan?" Carmilla asks.

"We strike a deal with that Reaper. He seems to be the leader. Maybe I can just scare him into doing his damn job." Laura states.

"And if he doesn't listen?" LaF asks.

"He'll listen." Laura glowers, staring at her hand. LaF and Carmilla share a worried look.

"Hey, creampuff, you feeling alright?" Carmilla inquires.

"I'm fine." Laura snaps. Carmilla stares at her, raising an eyebrow, and Laura softens. "Sorry. It's just… all this effort to cap my power is really exhausting me."

"I know." Carmilla murmurs, putting an arm around Laura. Carmilla can't imagine the energy Laura must be exerting right now. Laura was even too afraid to sleep in case she wouldn't be able to control her powers, and yet she keeps pushing herself forward. Maybe demigods don't even need sleep. Carmilla didn't know.

Laura seems to let herself at least relax into Carmilla a moment before the elevator opens at the top. A large, impressive office spans out in front of them, littered with lab equipment. That catches LaF's eye, but what catches Carmilla's eye is slumped in the corner.

"Mattie!" Carmilla cries out, rushing over to her and crouching down. She examines her quickly, but Mattie coughs and her eyes flutter open.

"What took you so long, little monster?" Mattie questions weakly. Carmilla releases a breath.

"You're alive. Or, un-alive. Whatever." Carmilla breathes. Mattie lets out a chuckle that turns into a fit of weak coughs.

"Your friend is quite resilient. It's why we were so optimistic that you would indeed hand yourself over. Little did we know you'd come with a surprise." The Reaper turns around in his desk chair. "You were blessed by the Utmost High. How could they turn on us?"

"Maybe because you turned your back on your purpose." Laura growls, stepping forward. The Reaper tenses, standing up.

"Our purpose. Doomed to a life of labour and misery. Shouldn't we forge our own paths? That's what the humans do." The Reaper says calmly.

"So your path is to destroy humanity?" Laura questions.

"And is your path to destroy us to get what you want?" The Reaper throws back.

"No. I'm not like you." Laura glowers. The Reaper raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh really? Then what do you intend to do?" He asks.

"To reach an agreement. An actual one. Where both parties are happy." Laura states. The Reaper slowly comes around the desk.

"A compromise." He nods slowly, coming in front of the desk.

"Yes." Laura confirms. "What would I have to do to make it so you'd all go back to doing what you're supposed to?"

The Reaper leans forward. "Make it so our job is a little less demanding. Give us some slack." He requests.

"I don't think she can just create new Reapers or something. She's a demigod. Her powers have limits." Carmilla comments. Mattie's brow furrows at this admission.

"What if we used  _science_  to fix this problem?" LaF suggests, looking through a microscope. "You can create a blast that wipes out humans. Why not use a different blast to create a black hole specifically for souls? Then it would suck up the souls on its own into the void, or wherever. It'll do your jobs for you."

"Can you do that?" Laura questions.

"I can try. It certainly seems like it. We'd need different ingredients, though. But we'd still need Lophii's blood. You know, for the soul containing features." LaF explains. Laura looks to the Reaper, who seems intrigued.

"Yes… that might work." He nods. "But we only have enough blood for one more solid blast. That's why we were so desperate for a vampire."

"Then we'll get it right the first time." Laura states. "LaF, get to work."

"Already on it, L." LaF declares, fiddling with some slides and beakers. "You know, your technology is impressive. With this you could've cured diseases. Maybe saved some lives."

"Not our jurisdiction." The Reapers drawls.

"Oh yes, because you're clearly concerned with protocol." Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"Just help LaF." Laura huffs. The Reaper grunts, heading over to the lab equipment. Laura lets out a breath, slumping down against the wall near Carmilla and Mattie and putting her head in her hands with an exhausted groan. Carmilla eyes her cautiously.

"Would you look at that?" Mattie croaks. "The pathetic human girl became a demigod. I told you, you complete the impossible."

"Just save your strength." Carmilla sighs. "What'd they do to you?"

"Mostly taking samples and giving me some sort of chemicals. Or at least trying to." Mattie flashes a smile. Carmilla shoots the Reaper a glare, who shrinks under her gaze.

"Well we're all getting out of this." Carmilla assures her. She looks back at Laura, who still seems to be struggling. She just hopes they'll all get out in one piece.

Eventually, and surprisingly quick, LaF and the Reaper make a breakthrough.

"Okay, I think we've come up with a formula, but it's missing some variables." LaF announces. Laura perks up, slowly pushing herself off the ground.

"Like what?" She questions.

"Such as something to draw the souls to the void, specifically." The Reaper states. Laura's brow furrows.

"You were using ingredients from different supernatural creatures, right? Like how the vampire would make it seek out human life?" Laura questions.

"Precisely." The Reaper nods. Laura looks at LaF.

"So we'd need something from a creature that can guide souls." Laura says slowly. LaF's eyes widen in realization.

"Like a Reaper." LaF breathes. The Reaper glances at Laura.

He looks fear stricken, but before he can even disappear using the purple flames, Laura lunges forward, her hand clenching around his neck.

His eyes bulge, and then he dissolves into a puff of glittery, purple dust. Laura shakes some of the dust off her hand.

"There. Use that." Laura offers, monotone.

"Damn, L. That was cold." LaF gapes.

"Whatever." Laura mutters. "I did what I had to."

Carmilla tenses, leaving Mattie's side and storming towards Laura.

"What the  _hell_ , Laura?" Carmilla seethes. "You want someone dead? Fine. Leave that to me. You shouldn't have to do that."

"I don't  _need_  you to do the dirty work anymore, Carm." Laura glares. "I have all the power in the world. All I desire is at my fingertips."

"Damnit, Laura!" Carmilla shouts, grasping Laura's shoulders. "Just because you  _can_  doesn't mean you  _should_ , remember? And you  _shouldn_ ' _t_ cross the lines you'd never cross. You can't let yourself become some victim of apathy and malice."

"Get off." Laura pushes Carmilla away. Carmilla hits the ground, and she looks at Laura menacingly.

"What are you going to do? Explode me with your mind?" Carmilla challenges. "Or maybe you'll just control me to agree with you. All you desire is at your fingertips, right? Why waste time on being a decent human being – or whatever you are?"

Laura seems to realize what she has done, and looks horrified.

"No, I… I would never…" Laura trembles. Carmilla stands up again, approaching Laura.

"I've seen it. Every time you use your power, it changes you. It's consuming you, Laura." Carmilla mumbles. Laura looks down at her shaky hands. She thought she was gaining more control by using the powers, not losing it. She just became more overcome with how much power she truly wielded.

This is what Ell meant by the power corrupting her. Turns out she was no different than the Dean, the gods, The Reapers, or anyone. Give her enough power, and she'll lose herself. Lose her good intentions.

"I didn't… want this…" Laura whimpers, looking at the ground. "I just wanted to fix everything."

"Saving the world would be a whole lot easier if you could just remain innocent, eh Cupcake?" Carmilla murmurs, echoing something she's said to Laura once before. "We've been through all this before. And I'm always going to be here to bring you back, just like when you brought me back when I lost control. I'm  _not_ going to let you fall into Dark Willow mode."

Laura smirks a little at that, hugging Carmilla close. "I'm so sorry." Laura sighs.

"You're going to stay you as long as I'm around. You're still a creampuff, demigod or not." Carmilla mumbles into Laura's hair.

"Uh, guys, I hate to break this up, but despite Laura's uh… violent outburst, it seems to have worked." LaF announces, gesturing to the new concoction. "I mean, it's not 100%, but it's maybe at a solid 87% effectiveness."

Laura pulls around from Carmilla reluctantly, sniffling. She's so scared she'll let this power consume her now, despite Carmilla's best efforts. She wishes she never received it.

"Um, that's great. Now we just need to, you know, set it off." Laura wipes her eyes.

"The top of the building." Mattie chokes out through some tired coughs. "I overheard. That's where they were going to detonate the last blast. A high vantage point."

"There's still a problem." LaF stops them. "We'd need something powerful enough to sustain it. Lophii's blood will attract the souls like a big beacon and the Reaper dust will carry the souls toward it, but we need something to open the void and keep it going."

"Damnit. What's powerful enough for something like that?" Carmilla ponders. Laura's brow furrows once again.

"Well, let's just go to the roof and see what happens. I can probably open the void with my powers." Laura suggests.

"Cupcake, be  _careful_." Carmilla warns.

"I will." Laura nods.

"And then the sustaining?" LaF questions.

"I don't know. Let's just go see if I can open the void first." Laura suggests, and turns to Carmilla. "You stay here with Mattie. Make sure she doesn't die. Again."

"Laura, I don't like this. Opening a void… that's a lot of power to use at once." Carmilla points out, concerned. Laura flashes a smile.

"Good thing I have you to keep me grounded then, right?" Laura coos, pulling Carmilla in for a kiss.

"I thought kissing me was too distracting." Carmilla sighs against Laura's lips.

"Worth the risk." Laura mumbles, pulling away. "I love you."

"I'll tell you when you get back." Carmilla smirks. Laura shakes her head, giving Carmilla a final kiss on the cheek.

"LaF, come with me. You'll be helping with the detonating, so you need to see what we're dealing with. Maybe you'll come up with the idea of a final ingredient while we're there." Laura states.

"Right behind you, L." LaF pockets the test tube of the black-hole potion, following Laura up a side door and up the stairs.

The city expands before them, and despite being so high up, there's only a pleasant light breeze. You wouldn't even know there's a fierce battle taking place far below them.

Laura hopes her friends are okay.

"So, you gonna do this? Open a rift in time and space, or whatever?" LaF questions.

"Uh, I guess so." Laura looks a final time over the city, taking a breath. Here goes everything.

She reaches out her hands and firmly claws apart at the horizon, trying to force the void open. For a moment it's like her fingers snag on something, and then with a crack, the sky splits apart. Laura falls back from the force, and suddenly there's a small crack in reality sitting in front of them. Blue lights swirl around inside.

"Uh, holy crap." LaF points, staring. "I don't know what I expected."

"Honestly… that  _is_  what I expected." Laura sighs, turning to LaF. "Now we know I can do it, at least."

"Yep. Now we just need to find the last ingredient, and then we can detonate it inside. Then bam, we have our own personal soul lamp." LaF explains. Laura cocks her head slightly.

"How do you detonate it, anyway?" Laura questions.

"By my calculations, the serum becomes combustible with sudden, extreme heat. So like, setting it on fire." LaF states. "But until we have a way to sustain the beacon, we can't do that."

Laura nods slowly.

"Thanks, LaF." She whispers, raising her arm toward LaF. LaF gives Laura an incredulous look.

"L, what are you…" LaF trails off. "Don't do this."

"I'm sorry." Laura bites her lip. "Just… go to sleep."

LaF crumples to the ground immediately and Laura quickly rushes to their side, checking their pulse. Laura sighs with relief. LaF was just sleeping, like she intended.

She fishes the test tube out of LaF's pocket, and stands up facing the void.

Something powerful enough to sustain the beacon.

What about the body of a demigod?

* * *

"I'm surprised you let her leave like that, darling." Mattie says after a long stretch of silence. Carmilla looks over at her.

"I have faith in her." Carmilla shrugs, and Mattie chuckles.

"Faith that she's going to liquidate her body on purpose for the 'greater good'?" Mattie questions. Carmilla stares at her.

"…What?" She gapes.

"Oh, come now, darling. You can't tell me you didn't see the little gears ticking away in her head once the final ingredient was brought up. It was as obvious to me as it was to her that she'd need to sacrifice herself to create the soul beacon." Mattie scoffs. Carmilla jumps up, looking horrified.

"She wouldn't." Carmilla quivers.

"Wouldn't she?" Mattie questions. Carmilla's eyes widen, and then she shoots up the stairs in a blur.

* * *

Laura feels the energy being drained out of her, the void sucking her in like a vacuum. She had ignited the concoction inside the void, and then she fed the contained blast with all the power she could muster. Spent and unable to fight the suction, the void swallows her up, and she's slowly being pulled toward the black hole for souls they created.

The inside of the void was terrifying. There were screams of anguish and flashing lights, the discombobulation of a warped reality – or a lack of reality. Yet there was a certain air of contentment that surrounded her. It was neither heaven nor hell.

This is good. This is how it should be. No being should have as much power as she had. If this was her purpose, then so be it. She wouldn't turn her back on it. Not like The Reapers.

"I'm sorry, Carmilla." Laura breathes, wanting Carmilla's name to be the last thing on her lips. She accepts that she'll never be in her arms again. She'll just have to be content with her memories. She only hopes that Carmilla could move on without her – that Carmilla would understand.

She starts to feel her body being torn apart, almost as if she's starting to unravel. What would it be like to exist as a collection of particles that hold a beacon together? Would it be limbo? She hopes Carmilla would hold up her end of the bargain and destroy the locket. Then her own soul could join the masses of the future souls guided to this light.

Just as her consciousness starts to fade, she feels a pair of strong arms around her waist.

Her body starts to piece back together as she's dragged away. Everything feels in slow motion as reality comes back into view. The inside of the void – and then then expanse of the city. For a moment, she feels like she's floating. Then she hits the ground with a crack, cushioned only by a soft body behind her that still had its arms firmly locked around her.

"Stupid… self-sacrificing… asshole!" Carmilla growls into Laura's ear.

"Says the person who literally just jumped into the void to save me." Laura snickers weakly, head falling back and being cradled by Carmilla. They both look into the void to see the beacon, perfectly sustained and functional, before the void snaps shut.

They're left with an eerie silence on top of the building, and Carmilla notes that Laura's heart rate in the locket has finally returned to normal.

"I can't believe you were about to leave me like that without saying goodbye." Carmilla mutters.

"You wouldn't have let me." Laura sighs, turning her body to wrap her arms around Carmilla. "Maybe deep down, I knew you'd still save me anyway."

Carmilla lets out a groan.

"God damnit, this hero thing is still so tiresome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go!


	15. Losing Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Laura squints hard at the candle wick in front of her. Her nose scrunches up, trying to expel the tiny burning sensation she's been building up in her body. She imagines the candle lighting, and for a moment she thinks she sees smoke, put then it peters out and the feeling fades. Laura hangs her head back in exasperation.

"You're holding back." Carmilla raises her eyebrow.

"Of course I am. I don't want to accidentally set another piece of our furniture on fire." Laura gestures towards the soot stain on the floor where their recliner chair used to be. It was hard to explain to the other residents of the building who had to evacuate when their chair had spontaneously combusted. "Plus, I don't want to go all… 'blargh' with power again."

"No one will be going 'blargh', creampuff. You're not overcome with divine power anymore. But whatever you were left with, you have to learn how to control before you go combusting other material items by accident." Carmilla argues. "And you learn how to control with  _practice_."

"It's hard." Laura whines. "It was so much easier when I could just think about what I wanted and then it just… happened."

"Do you regret giving that up?" Carmilla questions, and Laura pouts.

"No. Although I'm kind of sad I didn't really have enough time being a demigod to see if I could use the power to create the best mug of hot cocoa ever." She sighs.

"Because that's certainly not abusing your power at all." Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"Absolutely not." Laura claims.

Carmilla had grabbed Laura before the beacon had absorbed her body, but not before it had sapped most of her power. It worked, however. The beacon held firm, and Carmilla went down to stop whatever fighting was still going on. Any remaining Reapers agreed that they would accept their new job of rounding up any stray souls that somehow escaped the pull of the beacon into the void. Much less demanding of a job.

So even though Carmilla had been giving Laura a bit of the cold shoulder since she had decided on her own to sacrifice herself, all's well that ends well. Right?

Still, Laura was left with a little bit of power. She was no longer considered a demigod, which was just fine with her. That title came with a lot of pressure. "Gifted" might be more applicable. She couldn't exactly blow things up on a whim anymore, but she had limited telekinesis and some manipulation of the elements – at least from what she's discovered.

"Here." Carmilla steps close, running her hand gingerly over Laura's arm. Laura shivers at the affectionate action. They had been lacking in that department since being on that roof of the skyscraper a week ago. "It's rare that vampires have control over an element. I think that's why Maman chose to turn me, because she saw that potential in me. I'll teach you the way she taught me – except I'll be a bit nicer."

"Promise?" Laura swallows hard. Carmilla smirks, but doesn't respond to the question.

"There's specific parts of our bodies that draw on the power of the elements. Water…" Carmilla drags her hand across Laura's collarbone and down her arm right to her fingertips. "Flora…" Her nails slowly drag down Laura's spine, and Laura's eyes flutter shut. "Earth…"

Laura lets out a yelp when Carmilla gently squeezes her ass.

"Carm!" Laura sputters. Carmilla steps in front of her, a sheepish smile on her face. She raises her hand, pressing her fingers to Laura's forehead.

"Lightning…"

"And then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked." Laura interjects. Carmilla rolls her eyes and steps behind Laura again. She slides her hands slowly around Laura's waist, locking her hands at the lower part of her stomach.

"But fire comes from your core." Carmilla leans her mouth next to Laura's ear, her lips brushing the cartilage. "Focus all the heat right here. Contain it here. Build it. Feed the fire with whatever passionate emotion you can muster. Anger, determination, frustration – love."

Laura takes a deep breath and focuses, which is hard at first with the way Carmilla's holding her. But then she uses that to feed it, and she can almost feel a fire flickering in her stomach. It grows until she feels she has a handle on it. Then she looks at the wick of the candle, and forces it outward.

The candle wick is consumed in a small, gentle flame.

"That's my girl." Carmilla coos.

"I did that?" Laura gapes.

"Mhm." Carmilla removes her hands from Laura's abdomen, resting instead on Laura's hips. "You have a long way to go before you can set large things alight under your control, but this is a start."

Laura feels her eyelids get heavy as a wave of fatigue washed over her. She turns in Carmilla's arms, yawning.

"Just a small flame and I lost so much energy." Laura groans.

"Why do you think I don't use my pyrokinesis very often?" Carmilla comments.

"Because ripping things apart with your bare hands is more satisfying?" Laura suggests.

"That's another reason." Carmilla smiles. Laura returns the smile, snaking her arms around Carmilla's neck.

"Thank you for helping me. Seriously." Laura murmurs. Carmilla looks at Laura affectionately, and Laura pulls Carmilla in for a tender kiss. Carmilla allows herself to relax into the kiss for a moment before pulling away and turning toward the couch.

"Well, I can only help with setting things on fire. You're on your own for the rest, cutie." Carmilla lounges down onto the couch. Laura watches her, deflating. Carmilla hadn't been particularly nasty to her or anything – the little lesson they just had shows that Carmilla was still plenty sweet and sensual towards her, but she was… distant.

Laura doesn't blame Carmilla for being mad at her. She'd probably be upset with Carmilla if she pulled the same stunt. So she's been waiting for Carmilla to bring it up. Laura hopes Carmilla will still uphold their open line of communication. She just has to wait patiently.

"Besides, I had to make sure there were no repeat incidents." Carmilla looks towards where the recliner used to be. "I trust you remember what we were up to when that chair went up into flames?"

Laura flushes. Of course she remembers. They had been…  _on_  the chair at the time. A result of the tension between them reaching a breaking point for a moment. Now that Laura knows passionate emotions fuel her pyrokinesis, it all makes sense.

"Yeah. We have… a lot of flammable surfaces. So it'd be bad if I didn't have control." Laura eyes Carmilla curiously and sits beside her.

"I suppose we'd just have to be intimate exclusively in the shower." Carmilla states, picking up a book from the coffee table and flipping through. Honestly, Laura would be up for it right now if she wasn't so uncertain whether Carmilla wanted to or not.

Laura bites her lip, reaching out and squeezing Carmilla's knee. Carmilla doesn't react, instead just simply finding a page that catches her interest and beginning to read.

Laura takes in a deep breath. She just wanted her and Carmilla to talk… about anything.

"Carm?" Laura calls to her softly.

"Mmm?" Carmilla mumbles.

"I actually do have some regrets… about giving up my powers." Laura mutters. "I mean, besides the hot cocoa thing."

Carmilla lowers the book and looks at Laura with a raised eyebrow. "I'm listening."

Laura's expression softens into relief, although she trusted Carmilla would give her the time of day.

"Well, I was a demigod for about 72 hours and although I know I had sort of a one-track mind about the Reapers and the powers had more control over me than I did of them… there's just so much good I could've done with the powers while I had them. Things I didn't think of at the time but now I can't stop thinking about." Laura admits. Carmilla tilts her head.

"Like end world hunger, Cupcake? What were you going to do? Wave your hand and have food rain from the sky like Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs? Because if memory serves, that didn't work out well for them."

They're having a serious conversation, so Laura tries to overlook the fact that Carmilla just admitted she's seen Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.

"No. I mean, it'd be great if I could solve the world's problems with a wave of my hand, but I know it doesn't work that way." Laura absentmindedly traces along the seam of Carmilla's leather pants by the knee. "I just mean things closer to home. I healed my arm and the locket so easily. Could I have regrown Kirsch's leg? Restored Perry's mind?"

"And Xena's humanity?  _My_  humanity, or perhaps my panther?" Carmilla questions. "Cupcake, you can't erase the consequences of the past. It's part of what makes us who we are. If we live without consequences to our actions, or the actions of others, then what are we?"

"So if you had the choice to go back and make it so you didn't have to sit in that blood-filled coffin, you wouldn't do it?" Laura questions. Carmilla views her with intrigue.

"Probably not." Carmilla states. "If not for that time, I may not have realized what a callous bitch my Mother was. I wouldn't have grown such a hatred for her. I would have continued the con-game without question. I would have let her turn you over to the angler fish."

Laura shudders at the thought.

"What about you? You even mentioned after passing through the gate that you could put your heart back. And yet you decided not to, after being so upset about it before. Why is that?" Carmilla inquires.

"Because…" Laura mumbles, blushing. "I… I kind of like the connection it puts between us."

Laura looks up at Carmilla, whose eyes are soft. Carmilla reaches out and tangles her fingers with Laura, which makes Laura swallow an emotional lump in her throat.

"See? We may make our sacrifices, but only to get something beautiful in return." Carmilla murmurs. Laura heaves out a shaky breath.

"Does that mean you'll eventually forgive me for trying to sacrifice myself to save the world?"

A tense silence hangs between them, and Laura watches as a vein in Carmilla's neck flexes.

"The world would lack beauty without you." Carmilla says simply.

"Carm, I had to-"

"I  _know_  you had to." Carmilla huffs. "You always have to. I just don't understand why you didn't  _tell me_." Instead of letting Laura's hand go like Laura expected, Carmilla's hand encloses around it tighter. "You tell me off for keeping things from you and then you go and do that. You told me about cutting your heart out to stop my Mother and I  _let you_. But I also  _helped_. I made sure you didn't die, just like I did this time… and I almost lost you because you kept it from me."

Laura looks away, trying to hold back her tears.

"I couldn't stand myself, Carmilla." Laura whimpers. "When I realized how my powers were affecting my personality, how it was turning off my sympathy… I couldn't handle it." She bites her lip. "I knew you said you would help keep me grounded, but there was no way I was going to put that burden on you. How long would it be before I actually  _did_  end up exploding you with my mind because I became too self-involved? I felt like the only way to fix it was to destroy myself to save everyone else. That way I couldn't hurt anybody."

"It hurt  _me_." Carmilla strains out her reply. "And you didn't  _have_  to do that. Everything worked out fine."

"You're right. It did." Laura sighs. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Carmilla. I'm so sorry. But maybe if I had told you, you would've pulled me out too early and then I'd still have too much power and the beacon wouldn't have stayed. Cause and effect, right? Everything happens for a reason?"

Carmilla looks away, saying nothing. Laura blinks back more tears.

"Like I said afterward, part of me knew you'd probably save me. Although I didn't really know what would happen, I had to try. I made a split second decision and maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind. But it did work out. And if the consequences of that are you being mad at me, then… you're right, I should accept those consequences. I won't blame you." Laura breathes.

"I'm not mad at you." Carmilla mutters. "I'd just like to be included in your hair-brained schemes. We can't complete the impossible if we're not in on it together. Fuck the 'what ifs'. I'm done with 'what ifs'."

"Okay." Laura nods, crawling into Carmilla's lap and leaning over her, cupping her cheek. "We're a team."

"I'm not getting jerseys, if that's your next suggestion." Carmilla's eyes narrow. Laura lets out a melodic laugh that relaxes Carmilla's features considerably.

"Do you forgive me?" Laura questions. "I mean, it's okay if you don't and you need more time, I just-"

"Cupcake." Carmilla claps a hand over Laura's mouth. "Of course I forgive you."

Carmilla's hand falls away, revealing Laura's bright smile.

"Good." Laura sighs. Carmilla's tongue runs over her own bottom lip, and Laura watches it longingly.

"I still owe you an 'I love you'." Carmilla states.

"I love you, too." Laura murmurs, closing the distance between them and pressing their lips together. Anything left of Carmilla's icy exterior melts into Laura's kiss, and this time she doesn't prematurely pull away. But after a few minutes of slowly and sensually moving their lips together, Laura does. "Um, I still owe you another apology."

Carmilla tilts her head, brushing Laura's hair to the side. "What for, love?"

"I saw Ell." Laura admits. Carmilla stares at her in surprise. "Behind the gate, I mean. She was a soul, or something. For the gods. She was the one who gave me the power." Laura's fingers curl around Carmilla's shoulders. "Before she sent me back through the gate, she… wanted me to tell you she's sorry."

Carmilla's lips press into a thin line for a moment. She looks at her hand running along Laura's bicep, breathes out a sigh, and then looks back at Laura's face.

"Well, now you know she receives my full forgiveness." Carmilla states. "After all, it all worked out, right?"

Laura forms a curious expression. "Does that mean you can even forgive The Dean?"

Carmilla's brow furrows. "Just because I wouldn't change what she put us through doesn't mean she didn't get what she deserved. And what she deserved does not include my forgiveness."

"Yeah. I don't think I could ever forgive her for taking my dad away from me." Laura's lower lip quivers slightly. "I can't believe she almost became a demigod. And I almost become like her." She grimaces.

"You could never be her." Carmilla coos. "She would never sacrifice herself for anyone. She's the only one that mattered to herself."

"And despite being only concerned with self-preservation, she lost." Laura muses.

"Well, that's because she couldn't conquer the impossible." Carmilla claims. Laura tilts her head.

"And what's that?"

"Defeating us." Carmilla smiles. Laura rolls her eyes.

"You sap."

Laura leans back in and kisses Carmilla slowly once again, and it soon becomes heated – heated enough that Laura could feel it in her core again, as well as some other places. The shower was looking pretty good right then when Laura's phone starts buzzing.

"I  _swear to Laura_." Carmilla groans. Laura gives her an aggravated glance. Carmilla hasn't really let Laura down for correcting Jesus Christ to her own name.

"Hold on, it's just a notification from Inhuman Interest." Laura explains, looking at her phone. "Just let me read this and then we'll get back t-"

Laura's voice cuts off as she stares at her phone screen, scrolling through whatever she had pulled up. Carmilla leans up on her elbows, looking at Laura with concern.

"Problem, buttercup?" Carmilla questions.

"Um…" Laura starts. "Well one of our readers linked me to a couple news articles. Apparently people's pets everywhere have been turning into little vicious monsters out of nowhere, but the news is just dismissing it as an outbreak of rabies. But there's something supernatural going on."

Carmilla recognizes that look in Laura's eyes well.

"Laura."

"They're people's pets, Carmilla! Cute, little animals being forced to turn demonic! We have to do something!"

"Laura, no."

But Carmilla already knows it's no use. They were a team, after all.

And Laura Hollis is a losing battle that Carmilla will always win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: And that's aaall she wrote. Actually, I'm thinking of making a sequel where I'll release a story from time to time of Laura and Carmilla taking down supernatural baddies in a "monster of the week" kind of format. If you guys would be interested in that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story! If it invoked any sort of reaction out of you, tell me all about!
> 
> If you want to talk Hollstein with me (which is always welcome),  
> my twitter handle is https://twitter.com/WaitwhathuhFF?lang=en   
> and my tumblr url is http://queserasarabi.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also ignore the next note. I have no more evil planned (for now). The turtle doves are happy. We can all go home.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought! I have some fun things planned (I say while rubbing my hands together evilly). Hope you stick with me to see where these two turtledoves go!


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